Close Your Eyes
by Booney
Summary: It's 1944. A strange girl is coming to live with the Moscovitz family for the duration of the war. What happens when one of our favorite characters is shipped off to fight a war that so many don't come home from?
1. Meeting

Author's Note: Clearly this story is totally OOC and AU. It is August 1944...um, thats all you really need to know for now I guess. Read (duh, if you are reading this you are gonna read!) and Review!

* * *

A girl was coming to live with my family. She was from some small European country and her family wanted her to be placed in America where she could be safe from the ongoing war. My father was from her country, Genovia, and offered to take her into our home for safekeeping.

I was given the job of picking her up at the port. My parents were in their office. My father is a psychologist (how embarrassing is that? I just wish he'd have a regular job like a regular parent), and my mother was his assistant. She wanted to be a psychologist as well but her father wouldn't let her go to college. It wasn't proper for a woman of her standing to attend college.

My father told me that the girl I was picking up's father was a government official in Genovia and wanted his sixteen year old daughter out of the country. I'm sure she's stuck up, being European and everything. But I would deal with it. She would be living with us, but probably would spend most of her time in Lilly's room. Probably moping about how terrible America is.

I was told she had long dark blonde hair and legs just as long. The girl was going to be sharing a room with my little sister who had short black hair and a round face. They sounded very opposite. It'd be entertaining to see how they would get along.

I was also told that she had very little luggage and no one else with her. That must have been kind of scary, going on a ship with hundreds of other kids coming to a country where you don't even know a single soul. I guess I can understand if she is kind of distant. I mean, what girl wouldn't be if she was accustomed to having everything and then pushed into a world where she would have to do without (like everyone else in the world)?

I had arrived to the docks early enough to dawdle around and to read the papers. My parents did not let my younger sister or I read the papers at home. They thought the psychological effects of the war would follow us through our entire lives. It's kind of funny though, this time next year I may very well be drafted and sent over to fight for something I'm not allowed to know about.

I glanced up and saw a beautiful girl with dark brown hair looking around very nervously. She was biting her lower lip and going on her tippy toes to look around. I noticed a really large man with her, handing her a piece of luggage. That couldn't be the girl I was looking for, but she was damn pretty. Couldn't hurt to talk to her.

I put down my paper and walked over to her. "You look lost."

She looked at me nervously, "This is New York City," she replied. "Please, leave me alone," she said in a regal voice.

"Well, I'm waiting for someone too," I replied. "Maybe you saw her on the ship?"

She looked me up and down, trying gauge if I looked dangerous or not. "Who?"

"Tall blonde. Grey eyes-"

"Named Mia?"  
"No. Amelia Thermopolis."

She looked at her companion and half smiled. "I do not believe I will be needing your assistance any longer."

"Your H-"

"Lars," she hissed.

"Very well," he said, staring at me. "Will you keep her safe?" he asked me.

"I'm guessing you are Amelia Thermopolis?" I asked, finally catching up.

She nodded. "And you are?"

"Michael Moscovitz. You are staying with my family."

She nodded. "Oh yes. I remember your father. He visited with my family when I was young."

"No offense, but you _are_ young."

She half smiled again.

"Do you ever _really_ smile?" I asked, moving out of the way of a cart.

She looked hurt, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You always half smile."

"You met me three minutes ago. Who are you to assume if I smile or not?"

"Well-"

"And what exactly is there to smile about? Leaving my family? Leaving my home? My country possibly being taken over by the Nazi's? My parents being somewhere I can't go? Take a pick _Mr. Moscovitz_-"

"Don't call me Mr. Moscovitz. I'm Michael."

"Do no make any rash judgements on me."

"Same to you," I countered.

"Mia, if you are settled to go with Mr. Moscovitz then I must be on my way."

She turned to the man she called Lars. "Must you?"

He hugged her, "It will not be long. You have heard the reports P- Mia. The allies will overcome Hitler in no time."

She sighed heavily. "Yes. Will you keep in touch?"

He kissed the top of her head, "Of course I will."

"Are you going _home_?" she asked softly.

"Yes. You know I must go defend Genovia. You will be safe here in New York with the Mossovitz family."

"It's Moscovitz," I corrected.

They looked at me, seemingly surprised that I was still there.

"Well, they will take care of you."

She looked worriedly at me. "Very well then. Bye Lars."

"Bye M-Mia. Enjoy your time here."

She smiled wholeheartedly. "Yes. And keep yourself safe. I love you Lars."

I could see the man holding back tears. "And you too, Miss."

He quickly handed me her bag and rushed into the crowd.

"You two are close?" I asked.

She turned away from the crowd and looked at me. "I've known him everyday of my life. He's always been around. More than my parents at times," she said looking at the ground.

"We better get out of here," I said grabbing her wrist.

"Why?" she stammered.

"Because hanging around the pier isn't exactly my idea of a fun Saturday afternoon. There are pick pockets looking for all the money the immigrants bring over."

She looked disgusted, "What about your law enforcement?"

I laughed, "They have murderers and rapists to go after, forget about the pick pockets."  
"M-Murderers?"

I had read that there had been very little reported murders in Genovia. That their leader, the Crowned Prince Jacque Phillippe had practically erased the word from the Genovian dictionary.

"Don't worry, not around where I live."

We started walking toward the trolley that rode by my apartment.

"What is this?" she asked.

"A trolley," I replied, swinging onto the contraption.

"And everyone rides it?" she asked, looking at the other passengers.

"Yes. I take it to school every day."

"School..." she said softly, like the idea was foreign. "Do you attend public school?"

"No. A private school. They just made it co-educational."

"Will I attend the same school?" she asked quickly.

I shrugged, "Probably."

She looked out the window and watched as the New York City tourist stops passed by. "You have a lovely city."

I pulled the rope to ask the driver for a stop, "Well, wait to pass judgment until you meet my younger sister."

"You have a _sister_?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Why do you look so shocked?"

"I thought boys who had sisters knew how to act around girls."

I looked at her and pulled her off the trolley. "And I don't?"

"No. You act presumptious and...well, I forget you are American."

I laughed, "For someone coming to my family for help you are awfully rude."

She fixed her posture, "I am very thankful. You live _here_?" she asked, looking at the high rise.

"Yes. What's wrong with it?"

"Well...it's...so dreary. In the book I read about the United States they said that most people lived in houses outside of the city-"

"They say that is the wave of the future. But for now we live in Manhattan. The best place on Earth. The war would never hit us here. No one would ever consider trying to attack New York," I started going on about my city. Can you tell I'm a little proud of it? "They say the tallest buildings in the world will be built here....that is, after the war."

She nodded. "Are you going to join?"

"What, the war?"

"Yes."

"When I turn eighteen I suppose...I will leave school and join the Navy."

"Oh," she said simply, looking up at my building again. "I'll say this much, once the war is over your family should consider moving out of the city."

"I'm sure you've seen worse," I replied, opening our front door and motioning for her to go ahead of me.

She entered graciously. "Thank you. I can't say I have. Not all European countries are war torn now."

I nodded and started walking up to our apartment. "Don't you have lifts?" she asked. "Even _ships_ have lifts."

"Yes, but they only go to the top floors. We live on the fourth floor."

She looked terrified. "We have to _walk_ up?"

"Yes," I said harshly. "You can manage I'm sure. You just lived on a ship for a month and a half avoiding bombs. I'm sure you can handle a four floor walk up."

She nodded.

"Besides, it'll give you time to prepare for Lilly."


	2. Mia's History

Mia

I hadn't been expecting a young man to be living any where near me, forget in the very same _apartment_. The size of the entire Moscovitz apartment is about the size of my _suite_ back home.

There were three (small) bedrooms, a kitchen and a den. And ONE bathroom. I was supposed to share a bathroom?

Michael put my bag in the room I was sharing and I peeked in. The room was the size of my closet back home. And I was to share it with another girl?

And that boy wasn't much help to me. He acted like I should not be surprised about anything in this foreign city.

"What is so terrible about your sister?" I asked, walking the length of the apartment for the third time. He was sitting on the kitchen counter eating an apple. "I mean, why must I prepare for her?"

He laughed. "Because she's Lilly. The opposite of every girl I know."

"Even me?" I asked, peeking into a room.

"That's our den," he explained. "My favorite show, _Life of Riley_ is on tonight. You can listen with me if you want."

"_Life of Riley_?" I asked. "Sounds terribly boring." I fingered a shelf and lifted a pile of dust.

"Sorry we aren't very _exciting_ around here. But my parents run late hours. They deal with some war veterans and more lately widows."

"Am I very different from Lilly?" I asked, worried. I brushed the dust off my finger. I could carry a conversation with this boy, but if this girl is so terribly different then...

"Yes. You are much prettier," he said looking out the window.

"Why thank you," I said, blushing. I was not used to being around boys. Grandmere believed it was improper for a young princess to be exposed to men at my age. I would have to wait until I was eighteen. I wondered how she would feel about a handsome seventeen year old living down the hall from me. I wonder if Papa told her.

"All I can say is good luck with her. She's had the same friends since she was in nappies. She doesn't warm up to very many girls."

Great. I'd be just as lonely here as I was back home. At least at home I had my family. I had Lars. "So I won't have any friends then. That's fine. I'm..." I was going to say accustomed to it but I didn't want to. I didn't want him to think I was...a jerk. Someone no one would want to be friends with. It seemed likely that he could become a friend.

"You're what?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'll be fine."

"And you _do_ have friends," he replied, getting off the counter.

"I do?"

"Well, sorry if you don't think I could ever count as one. But I thought you would consider befriending me."

I half smiled, "Okay. I suppose I could try that."

"You could start by apologizing for being so rude to me."

"I?" No one ever expected me to apologize for anything. If anyone apologized it was the other person.

"Yes, _you_," he teased. "Forget it. I'm going to my room. You can go settle in Lilly's room. We have a dresser set up in there for you to put your things in. But no desk. You'll have to do your homework here in the kitchen with me."

I could handle that. "Oh, very well then."

He rolled his eyes. He must think I'm rather snobby. _I _think I'm snobby. "Yeah, well, I'll see you later. You can put the radio on or something...um, see ya."

He must think I'm a terrible snob. He must hate me. Why else would he feel so uncomfortable and leave so shortly.

He left me all alone in the kitchen. I had never even been _in_ a kitchen before. Princesses do _not_ go where the servants work.

* * *

I hurried down to where he had put my things to find a very sparse side, and assumed it was mine. Lilly's side was covered with news clippings and war posters. I stared at them and started reading them. Things were very different here in America. They had a very different view on the war effort. My families idea of a war effort was to _escape_. To merely survive.

But we cannot _possibly_ be called cowards. My father had met up with some generals of the American and British armies and was told that if we did not evacuate, the Nazi's would execute each and everyone of us, like the Romanov's were killed in Russia (but I hold out hope that Anastasia, the youngest daughter, escaped, that is the rumor going around court...there is a young woman no one knows that appears on occasion, but no one has the guts to talk to her!).

We had no choice _but_ to escape. My grandfather had utterly refused to give into the Nazi's demands. They expected, since Genovia was so teeny, that Grandpapa would do whatever they asked. They had promised money and a high standing after they defeated the allies. But Grandpapa knew the truth.

He had seen it in the other small countries that gave in. The Nazi's lied. The Nazi's had killed the people and tortured minorities. Even killed Catholics (after all, Genovia is staunch Catholics). Grandpapa rejected Hitler's offer and therefore put our entire family in danger (instead of the entire country, which I suppose is fair). He has put the safety of Genovia in the hands of the Americans. He had sincerely tried to have the French take care of Genovia, but they had problems in their own homeland so they could not afford troops to defend our own people.

Grandpapa sent a decree out, ordering as many Genovians who could, to escape. To find refuge in the United States or Canada. I watched from my window all the people boarding ships. They didn't know if they would ever see their homes again. And if they did, what kind of condition they would be in.

But then it was my turn. I left the day before the rest of my family. My parents promised to send me a telegram once they arrived in Indiana ,where my Mama is originally from. She met my father when she was a Red Cross nurse during the first World War. She was only eighteen, he was twenty six. They got married about six years after the war ended; six years after they met.

My grandparents had disliked Mama a great deal so they continued to court secretly. I find it terribly romantic, and loved to have my mother tell me the story as a bedtime tale. Grandpapa liked Mama, but Grandmama said no. Absolutely not. Mama was American. Grandmama did not like Americans. She found them to be uncouth and rude. I happen to think that very same thing. But not Mama. She was now one of us.

Mama is very warm and fun. She likes to paint and often does Papa and my portraits. Grandpapa even has asked her to make his official portrait that would be presented to the people upon his death (presented to the people meaning shown to them, but then hung in our private library).

She told me very little about her home, Indiana. I begged her for details about America but she promised that anything she told me would help very little. She had never been outside of Hayley, Indiana until she was eighteen, when she was sent to North Carolina to be a nurse for the wounded soldiers. And then Papa had set up a place for her to live in Boston. "Even though Boston is very much like New York, I am sure that times have changed. I could only tell you about Boston, not New York. It has been ages since I returned there...since before I married your Papa," she explained the night before I left.

I had cried buckets that night. Mama and Papa slept in my bed with me, trying to calm my fears. They promised that we would be together again in time for my birthday the following May. "But what about Christmas?" I asked. "We will not have our tree-"

"But in our hearts we will be together. And we will celebrate more Christmases together in the future," Papa promised. "Missing one will not tear us apart."

"Why must I be alone?" I stammered. "_You_ two are going to be together. Grandmama and Grandpapa will be together. Why am I to be all alone?"

"Because we have all produced heirs. If something were to happen to us there is still you. You will carry on the family name," Papa explained.

"I suppose if Simon had not run off I would be with you?" I asked, mentioning a name that we never spoke of. My twin brother who had run away to join the allies when we turned sixteen the earlier in the year.

My parents looked at one another, "Mia, please...never..."

"I apologize," I whispered. "But don't you ever wonder...where he is now?" I asked hopefully. Maybe they did know.

I saw a tear run down my Mama's face. "Sleep now my Mia. We must be strong for Genovia."

I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to keep my family safe, even Simon who had deserted me. Who put all the pressure on me to succeed.

* * *

"Why are you crying?" a harsh voice asked from the hallway.

I turned and saw a short puggish girl about my age. "You are Lilly?" I asked, quickly turning away. No one was to see a princess crying, even if they didn't know I was a princess.

"Yes. Why are you crying? Did you get bad news or something?"

I shook my head. I know, completely improper but I am in America. "No," I said turning again to face her. I extended my right hand.

She took it and shook it. "My friends and I are going to the pictures if you wanted to come along with us. The new Humphrey Bogart movie."

I looked at her oddly. "What is a Humphrey Bogart?"

It was her turn to look at me strangely. "He's the most famous, handsome actor in the whole world."

I nodded, "Oh, of course," I laughed. "I must have misheard you...."

"Yeah, _that_ must be it."


	3. Beach

Lilly brought Mia to the matinee showing. I thought she would be too tired to make it, but then I realized how long it had probably been since she had seen a picture. I read somewhere that the people of Genovia lived very secluded lives in the shadows of the Grand Palais on the Hill. I highly doubted she'd been to a movie before.

I started doodling in a notebook. I had decided months ago that I would be the next Johnny Mercer. He was a great American song writer and sang his songs as well. And if I do say so myself, I had a half decent voice. I could certainly carry a tune at least.

I heard my door crack open an hour or two later, "Michael, we are having dinner now," Lilly said.

"Ever hear of knocking?" I snapped, closing my notebook.

"What, it's not like you were playing with your wanker-"

"Lilly, such vulgar language!" Mom said coming in behind her. I saw her coming but I didn't say a word to my sister. If she was going to be rude to me then she deserved to be punished. But my parents don't believe in punishment. She would be told to write in her journal how she felt when Mom yelled at her.

"Mom, please," Lilly whined, knowing a night full of journal writing awaited.

"Lilly, we have a guest here. I do not want this poor girl to think we are a vulgar household. Understood?" she asked, looking at both of us. "You are both to welcome her with open arms. Treat her like another sister. The fifth member of the family."

"What about Freud?" I asked, looking at our Jack Russell.

She rolled her eyes and tossed her hands in the air, "But do NOT discuss the war, understood? She is too close to it to have it mentioned. It will only upset her."

"Wouldn't want the Little Princess upset, would we?" I said sarcastically.

My mother gave me a weird look, "I give up with you two. Wash up for dinner."  
We raced to the bathroom only to see that Mia was looking in the mirror, brushing her stick straight hair and counting. "Sorry to mess you up, but we have to wash up for dinner," I said making her lose count.

She looked at me slowly, then at Lilly. Seemingly surprised that we were in the same room as her. "You can wash up first," Lilly offered to Mia. I looked at her with surprise. She never offered to let anyone go first for anything.

Mia smiled and washed her hands. Lilly and I looked at each other oddly. She washed like an art form. It took her ten minutes to finish one hand. "Um, no offense, but I think that one is pretty clean," I said when she started scrubbing the tops of her finger nails.

She looked at me kind of embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. My Grandmama- Grandma is very strict about cleanliness. Nothing is ever good enough," she explained, almost embarrassed.

She quickly cleaned the other hand and left us alone, open mouthed in the bathroom.

"That was one of the strangest things I have ever seen," Lilly said softly, frozen in her spot.

"It must be a European thing," I said turning on the water.

We went to the kitchen to find Mia sitting up straight in her chair with her hands on her lap, waiting to be served. "Michael, would you get the milk from the ice box?" Mom asked hustling around. "Lilly, go turn off the radio."

I love how Mom orders us around but ignores the fact that Mia is sitting on her butt waiting to be served. Mia never offered to help out. "Mia, it'd be nice if you at least _offered_ to do something," I said taking a seat next to her.

"Michael!" Mom scolded. "What did I tell you?"

She looked at me like I was an alien, "Oh. It's fine," she said looking at my mother, "I wouldn't be much of a help. I don't know how to do any…kitchen things."

We started eating our dinners. "Mia, we are going to the beach tomorrow. It's the children's last day before school. Would you like to go as well?" Dad asked.

Great. She was infiltrating our _ONE_ family tradition.

"Oh....I don't know. May I think about it and then answer you?" she replied.

Lilly and I looked at one another. "It's just the beach. Not that big of a deal," I said with a laugh. "It's a yes or a no." I emphasized the no.

She looked sharply at me, "Then I would love to Dr. Moscovitz. It would be a great pleasure."

Lilly nearly choked on her milk at the language Mia used.

She had to wear the bathing suit that Lilly refused to ever wear. It was one of those new two piece things that the fashion designers made to conserve fabric for the troops. But she was taking forever to get changed. "Go get her," Dad said, sending me back up to our apartment. They were sitting in our infrequently used car.

I sighed and hurried upstairs to get her. "Come on Mia. Traffic!"

"I changed my mind! Go without me!" she called back.

I know if I went back downstairs sans the little princess that my parents would kill me. "No. Get out here or I will break down the door." I wouldn't have to though….the door didn't lock. Lilly had broken it months ago and we never got back to fixing it.

"Michael I need my privacy!" she screamed.

_Geez. Take my head off why don't you?_ "Mia come on. We won't get a good spot if you don't come with us now."

She poked her head out. "I look ridiculous in this thing. I can't wear it."

I pushed the door open a bit and realized why she said she looked ridiculous. She had a big burn mark on her stomach. "What happened?" I asked, forgetting about my family impatiently waiting downstairs for us. Forgetting that I did not like this girl very much.

"I…I was playing, as a child, in a field with my cousin, Rene. He found a grenade. We had thought it was inactive, being so long since the war…but it…. Rene didn't make it..." she said softly, I could see tears forming in her eyes.

I decided to be nice and make her feel good about herself, "It's not that bad," I promised. "Kind of looks like you were lying on your belly on something weird and it left marks. Know what I mean?"

She looked at me quizzically. "What?"

"You know when you are laying down and there's a magazine or something you aer lying on...there is a mark left..."

She gave me a cynical look. " Oh? Really? It looks like that?" she said looking at her stomach.

"Truly," I replied."May I?" I asked, pointing to her marks.

"May you what?"

"Take a closer look?"

She surprisingly nodded. Hell, I was surprised I had even thought to ask.

I knelt down and looked at the girls stomach. There wasn't a big mark, it was more on the top half of her stomach, near her ribs. It must have been painful. "How old were you?"

"Ten."

I looked up and noticed she was staring at me, "Um, if you want, you can wear one of my old t-shirts when we go swimming and on the beach."

"Y-You would do that for me?"

"It's not _that_ big of a deal," I said standing up.

"No," she agreed. "But my grandmother always made me face my fears."

"Fears?" I asked, leading her to my room to get a shirt.

"My family is supposed to be strong and an example of how women should be. We are supposed to accept our deformities and move on."

I rolled my eyes, "You aren't deformed." Definately NOT.

The bathing suit was a halter top, you know, went around her neck. Even though you couldn't see it through the shirt I still liked the style. Plus, I had seen her stomach earlier. I'm a teenage boy, those kinds of things interest me. As long as the belly isn't of my sisters. No, it's just the girl living with us so I can fully appreciate that burned belly. "You look nice Thermopolis," I said in the car.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, shocked at my new found nickname. I could tell she didn't like it so it would stick.

"You look nice, THERMOPOLIS."

"Oh, no, my name is Mia," she said looking out the window at the passing skyline.

I rolled my eyes. This girl was dim.

* * *

We went to the Jersey shore for our last day of vacation, and let's face it. The water isn't exactly the cleanest in the world. "We are to go into that?" she asked Lilly in complete shock.

Lilly threw down her towel. "Yeah, come on Michael! I'll beat ya in!"

We raced to the water and jumped in. It was a rule, who ever lost was the one to take out the garbage for the next month. Once in the water (I won), I started waving Mia in. "Why won't she come in?" I asked Lilly.

"I dunno. Go get her."

_Great_. I just got used to the cold water now I have to get out and bring in this girl? I ran back up to the blanket site. "Come on Thermopolis. It's nice."

She shook her head. "The water is disgusting. Look at all the seaweed on you!"

I looked at my leg and wiped a piece off me. I threw another piece onto her and made her squeal. "Thanks for letting me know. Come on," I said scooping her up and running back to the water. I could hear my parents laughing. Appreciative that I was actually asking Mia to join my sister and I in the water...making her feel like a member of the family. Too bad I am definately not looking at her like a member of my family....not with those great legs she has.

"No! Put me down! Put me down this instant!" she screamed.

"Fine," I said once in the water, dropping her.

She stood up in the water and scowled, "How _dare_ you!"

Lilly laughed, "It's not a big deal, Mia. Come on, I'll race you guys to the jetty."

Mia settled down after that in the water. We met a boy from school that Lilly knew and we had chicken fights. "A chicken fight?" Mia asked tentatively. "There are no chickens though…"

Lilly rolled her eyes and jumped onto Fred's shoulders. Then they went to deeper waters so she wouldn't break her neck.

I lowered myself and motioned for her to come over. "Get on my shoulders."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's childish."  
"You are _how_ old?" I asked.

She looked at me in a way she hadn't before. Like I had finally broken through. "I am sixteen and a three months old," she replied with a vixenish smile.

"Good to know when your birthday is," I replied. "I'll be sure to send you a gift. Come on."

She climbed on my shoulders. This was a big change. Usually we only did chicken fights with people we knew. I only had girls I'd grown up with on my shoulders. But now…Now I had this strange European girl there. This strange, yet pretty European girl that was going to be living with my family.

"Now what do I do?" she asked, breaking my thoughts.

"Oh, you and Lilly try to push one another over," I replied.

"I do _what_?" she asked, looking down at me.

"Trust me. If you beat her I'll give you a quarter. She is pretty unbeatable."

But Mia beat her once out of the four times we played. In honor of this feat I took her up to the boardwalk for some ice cream while Lilly played Frisbee with Fred and some other kids.

"I've never had ice cream before," she said taking a tentative lick.

"How is that possible?" I asked.

"I've had gelato, Italian ice cream, but not this stuff. Grandma never let me have American things."

"Grandma sounds like a real dish," I said licking my vanilla cone.

"Can we get this some other time too?" she asked, shivering.

I wrapped my towel around her. I could freeze, but Mom would kill me if she did.

She blushed, "Thank you Michael." I liked how she said my name.

"Don't mention it. Wanna go for a walk or something? It'll warm you up."

She nodded enthusiastically. She had never showed much excitement for anything I suggested, so I took this as a good sign. "Come on then," I said taking her hand tentatively. I didn't want her to think I was holding it for any reason other than not wanting to lose her in the crowded boardwalk.

"People do artwork here?" she said staring at some penny artists.

"Yeah. Mostly some veterans who can't do anything else," I said motioning to the fact that the one she was looking at had no legs.

She jumped back in surprise. "I had no idea…"

"Yes."  
"My father was in the Great War, you know," she bragged.

"That's nice. My father has a bum knee so they wouldn't let him."

"Was he very upset?"

"If he was he never let me know," I replied. "He's a pretty quiet man. But he doesn't want Lilly and I to know about this war."

"Why not?" she asked , finishing off her cone.

"Because of the psychological effects-"

"Didn't you say you were signing up for the Navy?" she asked.

I nodded, "He doesn't know that yet though."

"Michael, I _think_ he'll figure it out when you leave," she teased.

I looked at her, "Was that…Was that a full _smile_ I just saw escape those lips? "

She laughed, "I suppose so. Don't get used to it though."

We returned home late that night and took showers. I forgot my bathrobe in my room so I wrapped a towel around my waist and tried to make a run for my room, but I _literally_ ran into Mia.


	4. American School

Author's Note: There is a reason Mia isn't the most likeable girl right now. I mean, she just left the only place she's known as home for the past sixteen years. She's all alone in New York City with people she only just met. She's used to a very different life and still has to adjust. That's what her story is in this...um...story (did that just make sense? I haven't a clue). As the story progresses you'll see her change, don't worry.

Oh, and she calls her grandparents Grandmama and Grandpapa because I decided that she does. Okay, I had just watched Anastasia and got into the mood. Remember, this is AU and that is why people have different names.

MIA:

"Oh dear," I said jumping back, embarrassed.

But not nearly as embarrassed as what was to happen next. The dog, um, Food (I have no idea what his name is, it sounds something like that...but that is odd, naming your dog 'Food'. Must figure out his name later), ran by and brushed past Michael's towel, making it fall to the ground.

I looked to the ground. I had totally just seen his...er...manhood.

He laughed as he went to the ground to retrieve his towel. "Whoops."

"I'm terribly sorry..." I said, feeling how red my cheeks were turning. Seeing his chest was one thing. The other part of his mysterious anatomy was a completely different topic.

"No one got hurt," he replied. "See you later."

I stood frozen in place. Lilly poked her head out her door, "You still haven't gone in?"

"M-Michael…"  
"I heard him a second ago go into his room. Hurry up Mia!"

She was very bossy. Kind of like Grandmama. So I took a nice relaxing shower.

I couldn't look at Michael that night while we were eating dinner. How can he act so natural when I had just seen his naked chest and almost his other thingie. The thing that Grandmama says only gets girls into trouble so I better stay away from it.

"You were quiet at dinner," Lilly commented as we got ready for bed.

"I…I was a tad bit embarrassed," I admitted.

"Of what?" she asked.

"I…I bumped into Michael when he was leaving the shower. He didn't have a top on, you see…"

"Only a loin cloth?" Lilly asked.

"A…A what?"

"A towel around his waist," she replied.

"Oh, yes."

"And this disgusted you?" she asked, sitting on the bottom of her bed.

I really didn't want to admit it. But it didn't. Seeing that made me feel warm inside. "Of course not. I mean, I just have never…he didn't have anything on under the towel," I replied. I decided not to tell her about the dog incident. I know I wouldn't be able to hide a smile.

"Oh. Well, I'll talk to him about prancing around shirtless, okay?"  
I nodded. _Please don't! I like seeing that! Even if he is a heathen American!_ "Thank you."

I went on my knees and started to pray.

"What are you _doing_?" Lilly asked from under her covers.

"Praying," I replied.

"For what?"

"My family. And to thank God for bringing me to such a lovely family." I know I shouldn't lie. But I did anyways. Maybe I should thank God for a cute boy (albeit a non-aristocratic Genovian) to distract me from my real problems.

"Oh. Thanks. Night Mia."

* * *

They woke me up at an unGodly hour. "Time to get ready for school," Lilly explained. "Here are our uniforms."

She showed me a very short skirt, a blouse and a tie. "We wear this to school?" I asked, shocked.

"Oh, and this cardigan," she replied, throwing me a sweater. "But it's too hot out for that now."

"Why are these skirts so short?" I asked. Grandmama would throw a fit if she saw this. My parents would laugh at me though. Grandpapa would smirk. He was quite a bit like that Michael. Always had something to say at the oddest moments. But often kept to himself at the same time.

"They'll be longer once the war is over. They have to conserve all the fabric possible. Besides, we'll meet all the cute boys wearing these instead of potato sacks."

I smiled weakly. "You wore potato sacks to school?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and I realized that she had been teasing. I'm such a moron. I can't even take a sarcastic tone. But was I really supposed to go around New York City wearing this?

Michael brought us to the trolley after we had breakfast. He was a senior this year, and therefore was not required to go so early, but he did anyways. "It's because of his libidinous feelings," Lilly explained. "My parents are going to be so proud."

"His what?"

"Lilly, shut up," Michael snapped as the trolley pulled up.

Michael got on first then pulled Lilly and I aboard as well. I was on the edge so he swapped places with me. The trolley was packed so we didn't have much room. "You won't fall off, will you?" I asked, alarmed at the speed we were going.

"Naw. I'm used to it," he replied easily. He looked handsome as the wind brushed through his hair. Yes. This was a very nice distraction indeed.

We arrived at the school, and Michael showed us to the auditorium where the girls were to be orientated. Since it became co-ed this year all the girls had to be told the rules of the school. The boys were brought into the gymnasium to be told proper behavior around females.

"I will meet you girls here at the end of the day," he explained as he waved to one of his friends.

"You are leaving us?" I asked, shocked. For some reason I felt a kinship to him considering he was the first person I spoke to on American soil (or pier, whatever).

He half smiled, "I'm sure we'll see each other throughout the day."

He squeezed my hand and started toward the gymnasium. I turned to Lilly who was smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked.

"You sounded so helpless. You like him, don't you?"

I shook my head, in shock "Of course not." Thank Heavens she does not know the telltale sign that I am lying. How I start scratching my ears. She just most likely thinks I'm nuts.

She rolled her eyes and waved to the girls we went to the picture show with. "You remember them, right?" she asked.

"I can't remember their names…" I said trying my best to remember….these were to be my American friends.

"The one with tan skin is Tina. Her family is loaded. Her dad owns a factory that manufactures machine guns for the war. The tall skinny one that looks like a film star is Sylvia. She wants to be the next Judy Garland. But she has no voice at all. The short one is Laura. She's really quiet but loves to paint."

(A/N: I didn't think Shameeka and Ling Su were very fortish names so I translated them to older sounding names)

"Okay, thanks," I whispered.

The five of us went in to be 'orientated' to a new school. Lilly explained that they simply closed the sister school and moved the girls into this one, John D. Rockefeller School for Young Men (and now Women).

We were given a schedule and the headmistress explained the lay out of the school to us. "I have geometry first," I told Lilly after she asked me about my schedule.

"Which lunch do you have?" she asked.

"The second one. Right after I have English," I explained.

"Me too. What do you have fifth period?"

"Gifted and Talented?" I said questionably. Great. Grandmama probably designed a class so I could be alone.

"Me too. Michael was in it last year. He told me that it's a time that some students use to hone in on their skills. He writes music. I work on designing war posters. What talent do you have?"

She had to ask this didn't she? I didn't really have a talent. I mean, I can carry a tune, play the piano, and dance, but those were not things a girl does in a class room, is it? "I have no idea," I replied.

"Maybe they put you in there because Michael and I are," Lilly replied. "There's your geometry class," she said pointing to a classroom. Everyone started scattering as the final warning bell went off.

"Oh, right. Thanks. I'll see you at lunch then?"

"Yeah. See ya."

I started fumbling through my bag for a pencil when someone fell into me and made me spill the contents of my bag. "Oh, _sorry_," a rude voice apologized.

I looked up and saw the most gorgeous blonde haired boy, walking away, and then Michael walking over to help me. "That guy is a jerk," he explained.

"Who is he?" I asked softly.

"Class president," he explained. "Josh Richter. He thinks every girl is going to want to be his. You should have heard him in the gymnasium. He has a girlfriend though."

"I can see why," I replied.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Don't fall for it, Thermopolis. He's a jerk. He uses girls."

I half smiled. It was kind of cute how Michael felt so protective over me, like a big brother. "How would _you_ know?" I asked, standing up after we finished gathering all my things. Not that I was interested in that Josh guy or anything. No. Just merely kept up a conversation with Michael.

"Because I've known him my whole life. I just saw my sister. Lilly told me you're in Gifted and Talented?"

I nodded, "_Somehow_."

"Then I'll…wait, what lunch do you have?"

I told him and he smiled, "Me too. Maybe I'll see you then. Bye Thermopolis."

I couldn't help but watch as he sprinted to his class room down the hall. I hate that nickname, but liked how it sounded coming out of his mouth. "Out of the way freak," a blonde girl snapped, pushing me to the side.

"My apologies," I said softly. I was going to have to get used to being treated like a commoner.

"Whatever," she said as she took a seat in our classroom.

I sat in the empty desk next to her. "My name is Mia," I said extending my hand. Grandmama always says it is proper to introduce yourself even to those who you dislike upon meeting them.

She looked me up and down, "The European girl living with the Moscovitz dog?" she asked.

"You mean Food? Yes."

She laughed, "No, Lilly."

"Oh, yes, I am living with her. She's very nice."

She rolled her eyes and tapped her pencil against the desk. "My name is Jill Weinberger. You aren't trying to be friends with that freak, are you?"

"With whom?" I asked.

"That _freak_, Lilly."

"She's not a freak," I argued. "She's _very_ kind. So is her brother."

"Oh please. My boyfriend knows him. He's cute, but a weirdo too. If you want to be socially acceptable in this school you will _have_ to get rid of them."

"I will do no such thing Jill Weinberger. They are very kind and have opened up their home to me in my time of need. If anyone is a freak, then it is _you_." With that I turned to face the black board. God. Grandmama would punish me if she had heard that!

I managed through the morning until lunch. I saw Lilly at her new locker and waited for her to catch up to me. "You really need to get one of them," she explained. "We'll go to the front office at the end of the day to find one for you."

I nodded, "Thank you for your kindness."

"How've your classes been?" she asked as we joined the lunch line.

"Fine. I met a rather rude girl in geometry, Jill-"

"Do not talk to her. She's a total witch. Has had it in for me since we were babies. All because I'm smarter than she is. Her mother has raised her to believe that girls only go to school in order to meet a man. That a female has no right to be intelligent."

I nodded and kept that in my memory. "Right. Michael has this lunch too, you know," I said casually, looking around.

"He is a _senior_," she explained, "He won't want to be around little sophomores like us."

I nodded again. I had a lot to learn about American high schools. Back home I had a private tutor so I never worried about mean blonde girls, or who sat with whom at lunch.

We met with Tina and Laura who had lunch the same time as us (Sylvia was in the process of having her schedule changed because she had mistakenly been put into a boys PE class.). They started talking about the new Judy Garland picture that was showing the next weekend at the theater when Michael appeared out of no where with some tall skinny girl lagging behind him.

"Mind if I take this seat?" he asked me, pointing to the open seat next to me.

"Go ahead," I said warmly. Why was my belly feeling so light? I should really try to eat more. Since I got to America, I had only eaten sparingly.

"This is Judith," he introduced.

What, he already has a girlfriend? I. Do. Not. Care.

"Hi Judith, I'm Mia," I greeted, gritting my teeth (or so Lilly tells me).

"Oh, this is the girl you were telling me about, right?" she asked Michael, ignoring my extended hand. Americans are rather rude. Michael wasn't really. But he was a boy and probably didn't understand the rules. Girls should though.

He blushed, "Yes, this is the one."

I smiled at him flirtiously (as Grandmama had taught me), then looked away. What did he mean, 'the one'?

It wouldn't be proper to smile like that for an extended period of time. It'd be too forward.

"How was your geometry class?" he asked me, making me turn back to him.

"It was fine. I don't find any mathematical subject too easy so I'm sure it'll be hard work this year."

"I could help you," he offered slowly. "I do really well in math."

"That would be nice," I said with a smile. Secretly I was beaming inside. I had a tutor now for a subject that I hated. Plus, he was rather easy on the eyes.

"Or I could," Judith offered cheerfully.

"I live with her," Michael countered. "It would be easier."

Judith smiled at Michael a little too flirtiously so I looked at her, "I had fun yesterday, at the beach."

"Oh good. I was worried you were bored out of your mind. I'm sure the Jersey Shore isn't anything like home."

"Of course not but still…I don't see very many people having fun back there," I said softly, thinking about Lars. He was now on a ship returning to the place I had escaped. "I can't remember the last time we went to a beach."

* * *

Michael looked at my geometry book during our Gifted and Talented class, "This will be easy," he promised.

"Good. Then you take my class for me and I'll be settled."

He laughed. He was handsome when he laughed. His hair was a bit longer than other boys so he had to push it behind his ears. He had handsome ears. Can ears be handsome? I think this American air is making me delusional. "I don't know about that. We'll see."

As he said that our knees brushed past one another under the table. Mine was totally bare because of the short skirt, so I was mildly embarrassed, "Sorry," I whispered.

He started explaining the first theorem to me when he had to scratch his own knee and by mistake touched mine, "Sorry," he mumbled. "Didn't mean to."

I smiled slightly, "It's fine. Maybe if we had longer skirts we wouldn't have this sort of problem."

"I don't see your short skirt as a problem," he said in all seriousness. Then he turned red. Was he flirting with me?


	5. Bonding

MICHAEL:

God help me. I'm such a hormonal teenage boy. My parents had once been concerned over my lack of interest in girls, but they didn't have to anymore. Things were going down a slippery slope for me. And it _had_ to be the girl that is living with us. So I would be bound to say perverse things all the time by mistake _right in front of her_.

I apologized to her for saying something like that, but she simply blushed. Maybe she liked me. Or maybe she was just embarrassed.

The three of us decided to walk home on such a nice day. It would save us the trolley fare.

"Your city is beautiful. Reminds me of home," she said wistfully.

"I thought Genovia was more country like?" Lilly asked.

"It is, but in the city it isn't. I live in the capital," she explained. "It's more like here."

"Not in the country?" I teased, hoping she'd remember our first conversation.

She smiled, "Maybe after the war," she shot back. She was pretty when she smiled. She did it more today. I liked it when she smiled. She had nice teeth.

I went into my room and started writing a new song. It was a bit lighter than normal. A knock came to my door, "Come in," I said closing my notebook.

"It's only me," Mia said softly. "I was wondering if you would mind helping me with my homework?"

I nodded, "Just give me a second, okay?" I expected her to leave so I went back to my notebook.

She nodded and looked around my room. "It's neater than I expected."

"My room?" I said with a laugh.

"Yes."

"What did you expect? And how many boys' rooms have you been _in_ exactly?"

She turned red, "None actually. I just read-"

"You shouldn't believe everything you read about Americans. They aren't always true."

She smiled, "What are you writing?"

I thought about not telling her but for some reason I thought she would understand me a bit better if I did. "I like to write songs," I explained. "I'm writing the lyrics right now."

"May I?" she asked extending her hand.

I had never shown anyone my songs before, but I handed my notebook easily to her. "Sure."

And what she did next surprised me. She started humming a tune, which I had had in my minds eye for the words. "That was good," I said when she finished.

She started blushing, "Oh I don't know…"

"No, you sing?"

She nodded but was still red, "I don't go advertising it. My grandmother has a beautiful voice and I kind of inherited her talent for music. She likes showing it off…I don't."

"You should. Let me hear you sing."

She shook her head, "Oh I couldn't…"

"Sure you can. I'll shut my door. Lilly won't hear you," I promised.

I shut the door slowly so Lilly wouldn't think I was trying something with Mia. "Go ahead."

She smiled and laughed. She really shouldn't do that anymore. If she kept it up I would look past her stuck upness and start to have a crush on her. Wait, no. I already do.

"I can't just start singing. Give me a song to sing," she ordered.

"Sing that song. To the tune you just hummed," I replied, handing her the paper back.

She cleared her throat and double checked that my door was closed. (A/N: I don't own this song. But you'll get a cookie if you can tell me where it comes from!)

_I __want a little something more  
Don't want the middle or the one before  
I don't desire a complicated past  
I want a love that will last  
  
Say that you love  
Say I'm the one  
Don't kiss and hug me and then try to run  
I don't do drama  
My tears don't fall fast  
I want a love that will last  
I don't want a just a memory  
Gives me forever  
Don't even think about saying good-bye  
Cuz I want just one love to be enough  
And remain in my heart till i die  
  
So call me romantic  
Oh I guess that must be so  
There's something more that you oughta know  
I'll never leave you  
So don't even ask  
I want a love that will last  
  
Forever  
I want a love that will last  
I want a love that will last  
I don't want a just a memory  
Gives me forever  
Don't even think about saying good-bye  
Cuz i want just one love to be enough  
And remain in my heart till I die  
  
So theres little more that i need  
I wanna share all the air you breathe  
I'm not the kinda girl to complicate the past  
I want a love that will last  
  
Forever  
I want a love the love that last  
Always  
I just want a love that will last  
Want a love that will last_

She stumbled on a few words (and changed _guy_ to _girl_ in a few lines) but it sounded perfect. Like it did in my head. "Good job. You have a great voice."

She smiled humbly, "Thank you. I messed up a little though."

I took her hand, "No, you sounded perfect."

She started blushing all over again, "All right…um, will you help me now?"

* * *

The rest of the week went very much like that afternoon. We would work on songs right after school (when Lilly often went over Tina's house to talk about God knows what), then we would work on our homework.

I liked this time we spent together. She was really easy to talk to. We never discussed the war though. Mom had warned me and Lilly to limit our war talk in general, but then _even more_ when Mia was around. I know that Mom and Dad discussed the war and listened to the BBC late at night when we were all supposed to be asleep, but I tried to keep my mind off of it.

"There's a dance in two weeks at the Lyon," Lilly announced, coming into the kitchen where Mia and I were discussing our weekend plans (hers to write in some notebook journal thing, mine were to hang out at the diner with some friends).

"Okay Lil," I replied waving her off. "So-"

"I think it would help Mia adjust to American life if _someone_ invited her," Lilly said staring at me.

Mia and I looked at one another uncomfortably. "I am a terrible dancer," I said apologetically.

She smiled, "I wouldn't want to go with a complete stranger," she replied. "It's fine. Lilly you should go with that boy…um, what was his name? Jerry?"

Lilly shot her a dirty look. "I don't know what you are referring to. I'll be in my room doing my homework."

"Are you really that terrible of a dancer?" she asked.

I looked up, "Oh, I don't know. I am decent I suppose. But I didn't think you would want…"

"I could show you," she offered, looking at her book ever so casually. "If you wanted me to that is."

"Sure. That would be good. Maybe this weekend we could," I suggested.

She nodded, "That would be fun. Back home I only got to dance with Lars," she said, adding the last part softly.

I patted her hand on the table, "It's okay Mia. I'm gonna go see Felix about my English test tomorrow. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

She nodded and waved me off.

I poked my head in the den, "Mom, Dad, I'm going downstairs to Felix's house for a little while. We have a quiz tomorrow on Hamlet."

"Very good son. Have a good night, don't be out too late."

* * *

"Hey Michael," Felix said as I went into his room. He had a radio and was listening to the BBC.

"Anything new?" I asked, sitting in front of the radio.

"They just announced that Brussels was liberated," he said excitedly.

We sat, mesmerized by the voice on the radio calmly giving us news. I looked at his clock and realized just how late it was. "I have to go."

But as I said that they said something about Genovia. "Isn't that where-"

"Ssh," I interrupted.

"_**American troops fought off an offensive attack from the Italian forces in Genovia today. The **__**Grand Palais on the Hill, which is being used as a base for the American troops, has been destroyed. One hundred American casualties, two Genovian, and one hundred and fifty Italian. Genovia is a small principality on the coast of Cote d"Azur and has no standing army but has a strong group of volunteers that work alongside with the Americans. In other news…."**_

I gulped.

"So Mia…" Felix said, snapping off the radio. "What is she like? I haven't gotten to talk to her really…"

"She's very nice. Sweet. Kind of a hard nut to crack but once she opens up…"

"She's gorgeous. Legs like Garbo."

I laughed, "I guess…" I replied blushing.

"You guess? Michael, she's gorgeous. What's it like living with her?"

I shrugged. I couldn't really tell him. I mean, girls talk about their feelings, not guys. I couldn't really explain what was going on in my head. How I thought I kind of...sort of liked her. "It's okay. We talk about music a lot. But only after school. She does her homework with me then goes straight to Lilly's room and gets ready for bed. She turns kind of quiet at night. But she's only been here a week."

"Yeah so?"

"So she's still pretty shy. Unsure of herself. How would _you_ feel?"

"Being out of New York? Pretty good," he replied. He planned on signing up for the military the day he turned eighteen in October. He would finish high school (maybe) when he got back from the war.

I sighed. I wonder what Mia thought about the royal family of Genovia, if their palace being destroyed would be a big deal. "I have to get going. Mom and Dad think I'm studying for _Hamlet_. I need to actually study before I go to bed. See ya."

I went towards the bathroom before I went to my room, but when I passed the den I heard some sniffling. I peeked in and saw Mia curled up in a fetal position in front of the radio. Why did my parents choose tonight to go to bed early?  
"Mia?" I whispered. I didn't want my parents to wake up. I knelt in front of her. "Mia, are you okay?"

She looked up at me, "Do you think I am okay?" she snapped. She sounded like the girl I met the previous week again.

"I heard…on the radio. Did you wanna talk?"

"What if…what if it is someone I know?" she sobbed.

"It might have been a mistake, a miscount or something." I laid down next to her and awkwardly put my hand on top of hers.

"But…it mightant be a miscount. It could be _someone _close to me…"

I hadn't thought of it, "Do you have a boyfriend there or something?" I asked tentatively._ Please don't have a boyfriend. Please if there is a God do not let her have a boyfriend._

She looked at me in surprise, "A _boyfriend_? I have never had a boyfriend. Grandma won't let me have one until I turn eighteen. And then it is someone she chooses."

"Then…friends?"

"Yes. I have a best friend that might be in the volunteer troops for Genovia…." She said, playing with the hem of her nightgown. "And I have no way of knowing if he is safe."

Him. It was a boy she probably liked but couldn't date until she was older. "I'm sure he's fine," I said as soothingly as possible. "He'll write to you-"

"No…he won't. He wants nothing to do with the family. Even if he survives I won't know…Grandma says he's…forget it."

I decided to let the matter drop. She was getting too upset about it. She pulled herself close to me for warmth "It's getting cold out," she whispered. Oh. Good. God. Cuddling with a girl that you find attractive is very nice. Even when she _is_ sniffling.

"Come on, I'll get you into bed, okay? I mean, I'll put you to bed," I corrected myself automatically. I am such a pervert. This was QUITE a few minutes later. Well, more like an hour filled with little conversation and my bad jokes, and her weak laughter.

"Thank you," she said, putting her head on my shoulder and continuing to sniffle. I lifted her up and brought her into Lilly's room.

* * *

The next night, Friday night, was a time I normally spent at the corner diner with my friends talking about the war (considering we were all almost eighteen and of age we were counting down to when we could be sent over). But that night Mia and I spent listening to records. I focused on trying to make her not cry, but that was pointless.

We sat on her bed while Lilly did her hair for another dance (this was with her new boyfriend, Jerry at his father's club). "Mia, are you sure you don't want to come? I have a dress that would be perfect for you. And," Lilly said with a grin, "_Josh_ will be there."

I felt my blood boil. "Richter?"

"Duh Dummy."

"Stay away from him Lill."

"Do I look stupid? _Mia_ has a crush on him."

Mia looked at her lap, "I do not. I just think he is handsome. I do not get crushes."

"Why not?" Lilly asked her hands on her hips.

"Because Princes-" she said cutting herself short.

"Princes?" I asked.

"I am waiting for my prince," she said looking away.

"Well, if you change your mind," Lilly said writing the address on a piece of notebook paper. "I'll be here. It's going to be fun."

Once Lilly left Mia fell backwards onto her pillow, "She's such a lighthearted girl."

"If you say so."

"I just did."

We fell silent for a few minutes. I didn't dare lay down next to her. God knows what my body was going to make me do if I sat that close to her.


	6. Admitted Feelings

MIA:

I expected him to lay down next to me. I had felt like we had grown close in the short week we had known one another. He really listened to my thoughts like they were valid ones. Ones that Grandmama and Papa had ignored. The ones that only Mama listened to. The ones that Mama had respected.

I felt a tear escape my eye and slide down my cheek.

"You okay?" Michael whispered, leaning over me.

"I'll be fine. Can I be alone for a little while?" I asked, turning toward the wall.

"Sure. I'm going to meet some friends at the diner. I'll see you in the morning."

"Certainly." But secretly I was hoping he would simply retire to his own room and read that 'Great American Novel' he's always blabbering on about.

I spent the night miserably alone. I still hadn't heard from Mama and Papa. I had a sinking suspicion that my brother was a volunteer in the Genovian troops. And that something terrible would happen to him. Okay, I knew he was a volunteer but I held out hope that he had lost his nerve at the last minute....

I cried, as I did every night, myself to sleep very early. I woke early enough to bathe before anyone would see the blotchy cheeks. "Oh, hello Michael," I said leaving the bathroom to find him only in a thin pair of boxers.

"I didn't know anyone was awake," he said covering the little hole in the middle of the shorts.

I looked at the ever so interesting ceiling, "Yes. I find it best to wake at the same time every day. It is better for the body to have a regular sleep cycle."

"That's what my mother says," he replied, staring at his bedroom door.

"I'm going back to my room," I said quickly as I passed him.

"I'm going to brush my teeth."

I couldn't explain the feeling in my belly when I saw him in the hall. All I can say is that it was the same one that I had that day after the beach, when the dog (who I now know as Freud) pulled down his towel. Also, I can say that I don't hate that unfamilar feeling.

I sat on the edge of my bed and looked out my window to the buzzing New York traffic. Taxi cabs were going up and down Fifth Avenue like little bugs.

* * *

I had sincerely thought I was going to be fine. But then I listened to the radio Michael had bragged about. It was the worst mistake of my life. I would have rathered not knowing about the palace, my home, being destroyed. About the two Genovians being killed. Well, also the Americans and Italians but still. Genovians were _my_ people. It was going to look bad that my family had left. People would no longer trust us to protect them.

A few weeks went by before I finally I let my secret slip to Michael. He was asking me about the royal family of Genovia. What the populace thought of them leaving the country in secret.

"They told their people to leave before they did," I explained. I laughed to myself about talking in third person.

"They left before _you_ did," he argued sincerely. He was seriously upset that 'those people' had left me and my family to a possible attack.

I giggled. "Well, yes, but they encouraged the populace to evacuate. To go to the country side-"

"I read that the family sent the princess to a totally different country. What do you think about _that_?" he asked. "I mean, the average person cannot afford to do something like that."

"You sure have been educating yourself about my home, haven't you? Well, I happen to think it's was smart of them to send her to another country."

"But is it fair?"

"Of course it is."

"How?"

"Because I would have been killed otherwise," I snapped, not realizing right away what I had just said. I continued washing the dishes that he was drying.

"What?" he asked, stopping the drying.

"Huh?" I asked. Oh no. I had slipped. He would know.

"You said _you_ would have been killed…I was talking about the royal family."

I looked for a diversion. _Come on Mrs. Moscovitz…this is the perfect time to interrupt me and Michael!_

"Mia, hello?" Michael said, waving his hand in front of my face. No luck.

"Nothing."

I hoped he wouldn't push. "Mia…"

"Okay, you cannot, I repeat, _cannot_ tell a single soul," I said waving a dish towel at him.

"Scout's honor," he said holding up his right hand.

"I have no idea what you mean," I said confused.

"Its- never mind. What's going on?"

"Let's go to your room," I whispered, pulling him away from the sink.

I saw him gulp as he threw the rag into the sink and followed behind me to his neatnik room. I sat on his bed and he leaned against his closet. "So?"

"I am the princess of Genovia. Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Grimaldi Renaldo. But I prefer Mia. It's a nickname my Mama gave me when I was a baby. Her last name was Thermopolis before she married Papa. So when they sent me here they gave me a name that was _fairly_ American. I needed to leave Genovia," I said stammering. I let myself cry. Who cared if Michael saw me crying? He knew I was a princess and he'd seen me cry throughout the week (I saw him peek in to check on us, he must have heard me sniffling). "So I wouldn't be recognizable they had me dye my hair dark. Which I hated because Elizabeth over in England had always been jealous of my beautiful blonde hair and now I am nothing but a silly brunette..." I knew I was blabbering but sincerely did not care.

He bit his lip as he took in this information. "I've been acting kind of…"

"Kind of what?" I asked, wiping away tears. He came over to me and gave me a hanky from his pocket (what boy carries one around like that?).

"Forward with you…"

"Because I am a princess?" I asked. "Or because I am a girl?"

"Well…I guess both. I shouldn't act like I do around any girl…but not a princess," he replied, pacing.

"Michael, do not treat me any differently, please," I pleaded. "I am just Mia," I said standing up in front of him.

I really am a freak. I am just as tall as he is. Well, almost. I felt my lip quivering. "Michael, please, say something," I whispered.

"Why didn't you say something before?" he asked softly, taking my hands in his own.

"Would it have made a difference? Besides, I didn't want anyone to know…to treat me differently. It just slipped out."

He wiped one of my tears away with his thumb, "It's okay," he whispered. "I won't tell _anyone_," he said leaning his forehead against mine.

_Was he going to kiss me? Please God, let him kiss me. I promise I will never curse at Grandmama's portrait ever again. I will brush that hairless rat (_**a/n, I looked up possible people she may have named her dog, Rommel, after and realized that she probably would not have named him that just yet. Rommel was a WWII German war hero. Very unlikely that Grandmama's dog would be named that, you think?)**_ that she calls a dog's fur every evening. I will not complain about being in __America again if you let him kiss me right now. I'll even pay attention in church. Please._

I bit my lower lip my instinct as he leaned down to cover my lips with his own. As they were about to touch his mother knocked on the door. "Michael, is Mia with you? Why is this door shut?"

He pulled away quickly and got the door. "Hey Mom. Sorry, we were just talking about something."

"_Talking_?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "I think _you_ need to have a talk with your father. He's in the den. Mia, go back to Lilly's room. She and Tina were looking for you."

I brushed past Michael and felt my cheeks redden. "Thank you Mrs. Moscovitz."

"Where were you?" Lilly demanded.

"No where," I said simply.

"Why were you crying?" Tina asked, concerned.

"_What_ did Michael say?" Lilly asked, ready to go in for the kill.

"Nothing. We were talking about the war," I explained.

"He isn't supposed to talk about it with you," Lilly replied. "I'll talk to him-"

"No, _I_ brought it up," I explained. "I mentioned the palace attack."

"I read that the Italians were going to try to capture the royal family. They didn't know that they had moved out and the Americans had taken over. They were going to kidnap the princess."

I set my jaw. "Oh?" I asked, straightening out my already made bed. Oh God. I could have been a prisoner of war!

"Yeah. See, her grandfather, the crowned prince totally embarrassed the axis powers. And I guess it's really well known that the princess is his favorite grandchild, as well as the third in line for the crown. After her dad I mean…her brother disappeared or something. Anyways, hey, you probably knew them, right?" Tina said talking a mile a minute.

"No, why would I?" I asked sitting on my bed and keeping my arms folded so they wouldn't see how badly I was shaking.

"Lilly said you were the daughter of a politician…"

Lilly saw that I was getting upset so she changed the subject. "Hey, what about that dance tomorrow night? Mia, you should come with us. Meet a nice boy or something."

I shook my head, "No thank you. I would rather-"

"What, stay here with that stick in the mud Michael?" Tina asked with a laugh.

"Tine," Lilly said warningly. "That's _fine_ Mia. It's your choice."

* * *

I avoided Michael that night by going for a walk with Lilly to Central Park. I had been in the city for a month and had not yet seen the famous landmark. "I hope Tina didn't offend you earlier…with anything she said. Sometimes she doesn't think."

"Oh, no. It's fine. Perfectly fine. I didn't….it's fine. Can we change the subject?"

She smiled, "Fine, do you have a crush on my brother?"

I turned red, "No. He is a good friend. He was my first American friend. I intend on keeping a correspondence when I return to Genovia."

"He told me he liked someone," Lilly said, kicking a stone.

I stopped short. "He did?"

"Yes. I'm trying to convince him to bring her over sometime."

"Judith?" I guessed.

She started laughing, "No. That girl is pathetic, isn't she?"

"Who then?"

"I don't know. I know it isn't _her_ though. He told me he thought she was a pest."

"What girls does he talk to?" I asked.

"For someone who merely likes him as a _friend_ you seem awfully concerned about his dating habits."

I blushed, "Okay, _mayb_e more than a friend. But I have not known him very long."

"So? Has he kissed you yet?" she asked excitedly.

I shook my head, "No…I doubt he looks at me like that," I said linking my arm with hers. "He looks at me like a little sister, that's it. ANd it would not be proper to kiss someone you have not dated for at least a month."

She shook her head, "No…more than that. He never talks to girls. And he sits with us at lunch."

"Probably because of Sylvia. He did say he liked her necklace the other day," I replied, deflated.

"Only because she was fooling around with it. She's not his type."

"But I am? What am I?"

"Perfect. You are pretty and you don't act like you know it."

"I am not," I replied, self consciously wrapping my straight hair around my forefinger.

"See? And you don't act like other girls. You have an invested interest in the war. You aren't worried about meeting handsome soldiers on leave from West Point. You would rather sit and listen to a news program than go to a dance. He's like that too. He tells my parents he's doing homework at Felix's, but he's really listening to the radio there."

"I see," I replied, realizing how he knew about the Palace attack when I did.

"I think he likes you," Lilly said suddenly. "And that you like him. But you are too afraid because you know you are going back to Genovia. He is afraid to pursue you because he knows he is going into the Navy in January."

"In _January_?" I asked, stopping short once again.

"Yes. January. His birthday is the fifth. He is enlisting soon after that. He hasn't mentioned it?"

"We try not to discuss anything related to the war. He said Felix was going to enlist next week."

She nodded, "That's going to be sad. His older brother is there too. All his poor mother will have is his younger brother and sister. Poor woman."

We found ourselves back at their apartment building. "What does one do to let a boy know that she likes him?" I asked suddenly. With only a month in America I was acting just like a regular teenager already!

"With Michael you need to beat it into his head," she replied, opening the door.

I laughed and entered the building. "I can't do that."

"Then we'll plan something spectacular!" Lilly said linking her arm with mine.

* * *

The next day we went over to Sylvia's. It was decided that I would go to the dance that night with them. I would borrow a dress from Sylvia (since she had more dresses than Lilly. They told me I would have to look sexier than I do normally, that I would wear eye shadow and red lipstick! Imagine me! _Sexy_? Grandmama and Papa would flip out!). They would return later in the evening before the dance to do my hair.

I had successfully avoided Michael all that day, between visiting Sylvia's and hiding out in Lilly's room. He didn't make it very easy though. He kept trying to get into Lilly's room with a pile of excuses. Maybe it was to see me, but maybe they were viable reasons. In any case, I was _finally_ going to be treated like a normal teenage girl.

I wasn't having Grandmama dress me. I had girls my own age getting me ready. Treating me like one of the gang. I felt _normal_ for the first time, not like a precious piece of glass.

"Bobby pin," Sylvia said holding a curl in place.

"Blot," Laura said holding toilet paper to my mouth. I had never worn lipstick before so this was quite an adventure. "You can keep that lipstick. I don't look good with red. I'm not dramatic looking enough."

"I am?" I said laughing nervously.

"Perfectly dramatic and European," Tina assured me in a rather, shall I say, dramatic voice.

I smiled after I blotted.

"He'll fall head over heels."

"He'll drop that stupid novel he is reading and get dressed to escort you, I have no doubt," Sylvia promised. "If he doesn't then he does not deserve you and we'll find someone better."

I looked at Lilly. She had told them. "Oh, I don't know about that. I just want to have fun tonight."

The others left the room before I did. "I'll make sure he's alert," Lilly promised with a wink.

I heard them talking to him. He was asking what I was doing. I took that as my cue to leave the room and enter the den.

"She's going to the dance?" he asked kind of shocked.

"Yes, I am," I answered as I entered the room. They all turned to see his expression.

"Oh, hey Mia."

"Hi Michael," I replied, standing up stick straight.

"Wow….Thermopolis, you look….great," he said in a bit of shock.

"I don't normally?" I teased. I'm a terrible flirt!

"N-No, I mean…You do but….all dressed up…"

I looked at Sylvia who was beaming. "Well shall we girls?" she asked.

"Do you all have dates and stuff?" Michael asked, looking nervously at me.

"Some of us do," Laura replied. "Some of us do not. We are meeting the boys at the dance-"

"Maybe you need someone to walk you girls to the dance?" Michael offered, joining us.

"And who would want that job?" Lilly asked, batting her eyes, teasing her brother. "I mean, not you. You've seen us leaving here before without offering to take us."

He quickly glanced at me, "I have nothing better to do."

Lilly laughed, "Fine. Get changed though. They will not let you in dressed like that."


	7. Confessions

Author's Note: This is a very looong one. Things are going to start moving pretty fast from here on out. Thanks to all who are reading and reviewing.

**LiteratiLover**: Thanks! I love your story too.

**Andrea**: I am actually thinking about a sixties one. I'm gonna hafta do some research first. It'll be easier than this one I think...finding things for kids to do in NYC during WW2 is kind of hard. So that's why they seem to do the same things over and over again.

**Everyone else**: Thanks and keep reading. Things are gonna be getting pretty interesting

P.S. - I almost posted the entire story here (or what I have written of it at least!) That could have been very bad. VERY bad.

* * *

Michael:

I have _never_ changed so quickly in my life. I mean, Mia looked amazing in her red dress. I had never seen her done up before. Not that that changed anything about how I felt about her. If I even knew how I felt about her.

I looked in the mirror about five times before I started getting a funny feeling in my stomach. Like nothing after tonight is going to be the same. I let out energy by jumping up and down and psyching myself up. I can do this. _I can so totally do this_.

I left my room and saw my parents talking to the girls by the front door. They all turned in surprise to see me leaving my room dressed to the nines. I had gotten a suit the previous winter from my father. It had been his but he had gotten a new one.

"Why Michael, aren't you a bit overdressed for the diner?" Mom asked with a laugh.

"I'm taking the girls to the dance," I mumbled. I so totally can't do this. I considered running back to my room and hiding out.

"Shall we?" Sylvia asked before I had a chance.

The girls started leaving the apartment when my dad pulled me aside, "Remember what I said yesterday, son," he said softly.

* * *

_"Michael, these are trying times."_

_"I know Dad," I replied._

_"And I know you are at an age where sex is often on your mind."_

_"What?"_

_"Sex. Your mother just told me that you were alone in your room with Mia?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_"Michael, you don't understand…I welcome any healthy expression you may have, but not with Mia."  
"Why not with Mia?" I asked, fully knowing why, but enjoying seeing him squirm._

_"Just not Mia."_

_"But I really think I like her," I replied. "And-"_

_"Then keep the bird in the cage," he replied._

_"Bird? What bird? We have a bird? Dad, you shouldn't have!"_

_"Don't do anything that could make our living arrangements uncomfortable."_

_"You mean don't have **sex** with her?"_

_"Yes."_

_"That thought hadn't crossed my mind," I replied, silently adding 'today'._

_"Good. I don't know if pursuing any type of relationship would be healthy, Michael. She is leaving…soon hopefully for Genovia."_

_"What if I went to Genovia with her?" I asked, egging him on. Seeing how far he'd go._

_"Michael, that just simply isn't possible. You are going to Harvard next fall. I went to Harvard...your grandfather..."_

_"I am not, Dad. I'm going into the service. I owe it to my country. To my friends."_

_"Do not change the subject here," he replied. "Don't do anything to disgrace her, got it?"_

_"What if she does something to disgrace me?" I asked. "I mean, it goes both ways. You and Mom are always telling me and Lilly that the sexual revolution is coming any day now." Thank God for parents who like to openly talk about sex._

_"Michael, you know better." _

_But I am a teenage boy, I thought. "Fine Dad. I won't have sexual intercourse with her." Notice that I didn't say I wouldn't do anything else with her?_

_"Good. Good talk. Good night Michael."_

_"It's only the afternoon," I argued._

_He looked out the window, "Oh who cares?"_

_I love making him feel all out of sorts._

_

* * *

_

I caught Mia looking at me as we walked onto the trolley to take to the hall. "I think we should probably talk," I whispered, standing behind her in the trolley. She smelled really nice. Like vanilla. I wonder if Genovia smells like that.

_No. She said that they grew pears. She must smell like pears back home._

"Oh?" she asked, half turning.

"Yes."

"Then let's get off this and walk to the dance," she suggested.

I pulled the cord and told the others we would meet them there.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Lilly called out to us as the trolley pulled away. I laughed.

"It's only a few blocks," I promised.

"It's not a big deal," she mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Aren't you excited about the dance?"

"A little. The girls were more excited that I was showing some girlish enthusiasm."

I laughed again. Okay, I tend to laugh when I'm nervous. I bit my lip, "So…yesterday…"  
"Yes?" she asked, looking bright eyed at me.

I realized that there were a lot of people around us and I pulled her to someone's stoop. "I was kind of surprised."

"Oh. That," she said, looking disappointed. She clearly thought I was talking about the princess thing. Which _was_ a shock, but it was in the back of my mind. That was news that could be dealt with later. The fact that she hadn't seemed opposed to kissing me was much bigger news to my self absorbed teenage mind.

"I mean, at least I think I was _happily_ surprised."

She looked at me questionably and I kissed her tentatively. "I kind of like you Thermopolis," I whispered. I don't know who was more shocked, her or me.

She held my hand, "I-I don't know what to say. No one has ever…" she laughed and wiped the little lipstick that had run off on me. "Thank you, Michael," she said softly.

"For?"

"I know you wanted to kiss me before you knew."

"Of course I did," I replied. "Why wouldn't I?" I knew there was something else but she wasn't ready to say it to me yet. Something she was holding back.

She smiled, "I dunno…because I'm _me_."

"And that's exactly why I wanted to kiss you," I said as our fingers entwined.

"Would it be too forward to ask for another?" she asked tentatively.

I smiled and leaned in to kiss her again, this time for a little longer. To hell with my father's warnings.

"We should go to the dance now," she said as we pulled apart. "They'll be looking for us."

I nodded in agreement, still on cloud nine. As a princess she's probably kissed a lot of guys, but I have only kissed one other girl, and that was because she was dared to.

We walked hand in hand to the dance. No one bothered to look at us considering there were glamorous couples there (Jill and Josh for example). Lilly and the others saw us and waved us over to them.

"What _ever_ took you so long, Big Brother?"  
"Not a soul," I warned. "Or I'll tell Dad about you and Jerry."

"You wouldn't _dare_," she said with squinted eyes.

"Don't say a word," I warned.

Mia was a fantastic dancer, and made me feel like a fool for looking so bad with her. "I'm terrible," I said laughing as we sat down at the table, alone.

"No you are not. You are a boy," she replied, watching the other dancing couples.

"That's explaining it?" I asked.

"Boys are _known_ to be terrible. My partners in lessons were always stepping on my feet."

A surge of jealousy crawled up inside me. Other boys had touched her like I had been all night. Perhaps they had the same thoughts I had about her. "We should keep _this_ quiet," I suggested motioning to the space between us.

"Why?" she asked nervously. "Are you embarrassed to be dating a tenth year?"

I smiled at her European slang, "No. If I could I'd yell it from the tallest mountain. _My parents_."

She nodded. "I understand."

"So we are dating now?" I teased.

She blushed, "Well…"  
"We are," I assured her. "I would never have kissed you if I didn't want to be your boyfriend."

"Are we steady?" she asked.

That is an American term if I have ever heard one. "Yes. We are," I whispered, watching her eyes glow in excitement.

"I've never had a boyfriend before," she said with a smile.

And if I had anything to do with it, she would not have another. "Then it is an honor and a privilege."

She smiled again. "I'm getting a bit tired. Can we go home now?"

I went to my room when we returned to the apartment. Mia went to Lilly's. We snuck in another quick kiss before my parents came down the hall for bed. "Good night kids," Dad said looking at me suspiciously. "Go to your room," he said glaring at me.

I nodded and walked to the other end of the hall to my room. How was I supposed to sleep when my girlfriend is only up the hall?

I didn't. I stayed up and looked out my window. Felix was leaving soon and I was here swooning over a princess (literally). Why was I doing this to myself? I had a pact with Felix, Roger, Charlie and Kevin. We agreed, after war was declared a few years ago, that we would join up once we were eighteen.

Charlie left last January (he was the oldest out of us but stayed back a year in school). Roger left in the middle of the summer. Felix was leaving in a week and a half. Kevin was leaving in December.

We were only fifteen when we decided to do this. I had thought the war would be over by the time I was old enough to go over, so I agreed to do it without any worries.

I hadn't thought I would find a girlfriend then. Kevin was the only one with a real serious girl. He and Miranda had been dating since we were thirteen. We all knew they were going to get married to her, but now that we were in the middle of a war the only question left was to wonder about when they would get married. Before or _after_ he got back?

* * *

"Hey," Lilly said, popping her head into my room. "Why is your light still on?" 

"No reason. Go to bed."

"I can't."

"Why not?" I said, pretending to be re-arranging my books on top of my dresser.

"Mia is crying. I don't want to intrude."

I stopped what I was doing. Was she crying about me? I mean, had I pushed her too far? Maybe she didn't want me to be her boyfriend. Maybe she thought I wanted something else out of her…. "She's crying?" was all I could muster.

"She does every night. But I'm usually already pretending to be going to bed."

Okay. So it's not me. "Oh. You can sleep in my bed. I'll go sleep on the couch."

She nodded, "Well, clearly that would be happening. I am certainly not going onto the couch.

I set myself up on the couch. It's really lumpy, in case you were wondering. "M-Michael?" Mia's soft voice asked.

I turned and fell off the couch in the process. "Hey," I said with a laugh.

I could see she was smiling. "Hi. What are you doing out here?" she asked, kneeling next to me.

"Lilly thought you were asleep and didn't want to wake you. She's in my bed."

"Oh…okay. I was going to get some water."

"Okay. Hey, I didn't freak you out earlier, did I?"

She looked confused, "About?"

"You know…being steady…"

She smiled, "Of course not. That is one of the only bright spots of my life right now."

I took her hand, "Things are going to get better Mia. I promise."

"How do you know that?" she asked, staring at our hands.

"Because I do. Things can't possibly get worse, can they?"

"Good point. I just….I feel so helpless, ya know?"

"I suppose."

"I mean, I suppose I could do something….like…..can I tell you a secret? Promise not to tell anyone?"

I gave her a look. "Of course you can. Remember, I am your _boyfriend_ afterall," I teased.

She smiled and giggled. She had changed a lot. "I know…I have to tell you something about me. You can't really fully understand me without knowing. And my family would kill me if I told anyone here..."

"I already know you are a princess. What else is bigger than that?"

"I have a twin brother."


	8. Spilt Milk

Mia:

I just told my _boyfriend_ about my twin. He looked mildly surprised. "You never mentioned him. What's his name?"

"Simon. Simon Phillipe Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. He is the heir to the throne before me."

I could see a little bit of relief on his face. "Then you can do whatever _you _want, right?You could stay in New York, right? I mean, you don't have to be a queen or whatever, right?"

I didn't think this was the time to explain that principalities do not have queens, but sovereign rulers. "No. Not necessarily. He ran away," I whispered the last part. "We do not know where he went. He wanted to join the American troops in the European theater. My family could not let him of course. My father had almost died after all when they let him fight in the first war. No one wanted to take any chances. But he ran away," I said, feeling the tears coming onto my cheeks.

* * *

_"Mia?" my brother's voice sang from the door to my suite._

_ "Hmprh…" I mumbled. _

_ "Mia, wake up," he said, making his way to my room._

_ I sat up. "What are you doing here?" I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes._

_ "It's the only time I can talk to you with no one else around."_

_ I gave him a look. It was like looking into a mirror with him. Well, if I had short hair. "About what?" I said grumpily. I knew it was serious. He never came into my room. We always met in the common room between our suites. _

_ "Mia, I'm running away. To join up."_

_ I gaped at him. "Oh…Simon, you mustant. Grandmama and Mama will kill you!"_

_ He laughed, "They can't, I'm the heir to the throne. And they would never want you to be the sovereign…"_

_ I playfully smacked him. How dare he made light of this! "Simon, you might die out there!"_

_ "I won't," he said with the confidence only he had. He'd always had an air about him. And I envied it. I would never be like him. Everyone knew that. He was the favored one. I was just the spare heir. Not important. Just there to look pretty and to be trained to be a perfect hostess and princess._

_ "How can you be so sure?" I said with my lip quivering._

_ "Because I'll remember that I cannot possibly leave the fate of Genovia in my sister's hands. Plus, would I leave you forever? Alone with Grandmama forever? Am I that cruel of a brother?"_

_ I giggled, "NO, I suppose not. How long have you been planning this?" I whispered._

_ "A few weeks. You are going to be sent to the States anyways. You'll be safe. Mama and Papa told me that you and I are to live with a family in __New York__. A family that has a son and a daughter our age. Mia, you have to be strong for us. You have to defend me, okay?"_

_ I nodded and started to cry. That's why I would be a terrible leader. I wear my heart on my sleeve. Everyone would know exactly what I was thinking. "I can do that," I promised._

_ "And don't tell anyone of my plans, okay?"_

_ "Well, I'm not stupid. Of course I won't."_

_ "Good. Tomorrow we will play tennis with Mama and Papa like we planned. Then we can go for a horse back ride and spend some time together."_

_ I nodded. "I can't promise that I will always be strong. And I especially promise that I cannot be strong in __New York__. I mean, it is __New York__…it must smell, do you think? Grandmama told me that they urinate in the streets there because they don't have toliets yet..." I asked, trying to keep my mind off of what he had just told me._

_ He smiled, "I'm sure it is not too bad. Go back to sleep."

* * *

_

"You were close?" Michael asked.

"You are lucky to have Lilly. Michael, must you leave her in January?" Okay, I was actually asking if he really had to leave _ME_ in January.

He looked away, out the window. "Mia, let's not think about that, okay?"

"But we will…eventually, right?"

He looked at me with those deep brown eyes whose spell I had fallen under (aren't I dramatic? Grandmama says I am…that I could be a film star or something if I weren't disfigured). "I suppose. But lets have fun right now, okay?" he said hopefully.

"Yes," I replied, pushing away those terrible thoughts. "We'll have fun for now until…"

I didn't finish my thought. I let it hang in the air. "I'm going to sleep," I said after a few minutes.

"No, not yet," he pleaded, pulling me by my hand closer to him. "Sit with me a little longer."

So I did.

* * *

The next morning we ate breakfast with his entire family. Lilly knew what had happened the night before, but her parents were not to know.

"Michael, I thought you were coming back after bringing the girls?" his mother asked.

"Judith was there," Lilly cut in. "She dragged him onto the dance floor. Mia finally pulled him away by saying that she wanted to go home…that she was tired. I'm sure he was appreciative about it."

"Michael, why don't you like Gershner girl? She's very kind and from a good family. She's going to Radcliffe next year I heard..."

"She's not my type," he replied walking by me with his glass of milk. It fell and soaked my suit I had put on for the day (the one I managed to sneak out of the palace).

"Oh, what is then, son?" Dr. Moscovitz asked, handing me a towel to wipe up the mess.

"Ones that don't speak English," Lilly replied. "Mom, Michael hardly ever talks to girls. You are lucky he even talks to me and Mia."

I added, to myself, _he does a lot more than talking_.

"Mom, Dad, relax. When I find the one I'll know," he said, staring into his bowl of oat bran.

I stared into mine as well and felt his hand on my knee. I could hardly stop myself from smiling. "What are you children doing today?" Dr. Moscovitz asked as Mrs. Moscovitz took his bowl to the sink to be washed.

"Felix is leaving soon so me and Kevin are going down to his apartment to spend some time with him."

"I have a report due on Tuesday," I replied. "I might go to the public library to work on it."

"What is it about?" Mrs. Moscovitz asked.

"Technology. I read about this computer thing. The top scientists…well, the ones not working with the army I mean, are making this thirty ton computer that does all sorts of calculations and stuff," I said, getting way too excited about it. Maybe my enthusiasm was sparked by the fact that Michael's hand was still on my knee and he was looking directly at me while I spoke. "And the researchers say that one day every American will be able to hold it in their hand. Students will have it to do their math homework-:"

"A computer? That sounds…interesting," Michael said with a sarcastic smirk. "Won't catch on though. The American youth would become lazy and illiterate. They'd never leave their rooms. They'd all be pasty and fat. Sounds like _terrible_ idea to me."

I gave him a look. He was fooling around on me again. "You do not even know the first thing about it."

"Michael, leave her alone," Mrs. Moscovitz said, putting the milk back in the ice box. I noticed his hand nearly flew from my knee so she wouldn't notice it. "Lilly, what are your plans for the day?"

"To run amuck in the city," she replied with a sweet smile.

Dr. Moscovitz gave her a look. "If you have no other plans then dear, you can come help your mother and me with some research.'

Lilly groaned.

"I would have been delighted if my father had invited me to help him do research," Mrs. Moscovitz said with a pat on Lilly's head.

"Go get dressed Lilly. The three of us will leave in fifteen minutes."

After they left Michael turned to me and smiled. "I'm not supposed to be at Felix's until this afternoon."

"I'm not really writing a paper. I was just doing it for fun."

We decided to go for a walk that morning, just the two of us. I don't know what it is….Michael was not the type of boy I would have imagined courting. The few boys Grandmama had allowed me to meet tried to pretend they were not impressed with my royal status, but it was clear that they were. Michael didn't look impressed at all. Maybe because the American's didn't have royalty so they didn't understand the importance of it.

But in any case I loved the fact that I was a princess and he never mentioned it. Well, he did the night before when he asked it I was going to have to rule. But that was part of our conversation. Not his fault.

"It's always so busy around here," I said in wonderment.

"The city that never sleeps," he replied.

I bit my lip as he held my hand in his own. Then I laughed.

"What?" he asked self consciously.

"It's just…." I started, suddenly embarrassed.

"What?"

"I never thought I would like an _American_ boy. Or that I would ever meet one," I added.

"And now that you do like, and have met an American boy?"

"I kind of like it."

I got back to the apartment after dropping Michael off at Felix's. He and I picked up the mail but I didn't bother looking until I got into the Moscovitz home. I found an envelope with my name on it. Odd. No one knows where I am staying.


	9. Tell Me More

_Dearest Mia-_

_Your father and I stopped by today—our ship only just arrived. We had to make several stops along the way but we have finally arrived in America. We had hoped to meet you and possibly take you to lunch at the Plaza Hotel...be a real family even for a little while. But we assume you are out with new friends, which is good news. We do not want our daughter to sit around and mope all day long. _

_We miss you terribly and think about you often. I do wish we had more time to wait for your return, but we have a train to meet in only a little while. We are first going to Washington D.C, and then we will go to my family in Indiana. It will be nice to see my mother and father again, although I do believe that Papa is dreading it. Your Paw Paw will most likely make him milk the cows and do the real farm work. I cannot possibly wait to see it! I wish you would be able to as well so we could tease him together, but we must do this for Genovia. To be strong for it._

_What am I talking about? I just want my daughter back. I want to braid your hair after you take a bath, and to hear about your new adventures in a new city. Have you made many friends? Any boys? It must be nice to be a normal girl now, not with your Grandmama breathing down your neck. Use this time wisely. Date. Be a foolish teenager. I know I loved being sixteen...I'll tell you more about that later though. _

_I know how you feel about Americans, but I'm sure by now you have grown used to here. And to the American way of life, how do you like it now?_

_Papa is getting agitated. I'll let him write now._

_-Love Always, Mama_

_Melia _(that's what my papa calls me, no one else dares to though)

_It has been so long since I've seen your sweet face. I understand that it must be difficult adjusting to this way of life, I know myself I am dreading it. How have you fared with it? Any advice for the old man?_

_The journey here was very eventful, I shall give you a full report in my next letter. That way you can write it all down and put your imagination to good use. I cannot wait to hear your latest tale. _

_You have been behaving yourself I hope. Been good to the Moscovitz family. How are the children? Robert tells me that they are about your age now. Do you get along with them very well? I know it must be hard...you have such a different background than they do and all. But you must adjust my daughter. You must adjust to your new living situation. Be polite to the son and daughter. _

_And be sure to have fun. Enjoy yourself there, you even have my permission to court. But be smart about it. Do not let boys know who you really are...do not get serious with anyone. You are still very young. _

_We must be off now. But we love you darling, do not ever doubt that. You can reach us at _

_23 Patchwork Road_

_Slannen, Indiana 34293_

_We await your letter_

_Love, Papa_

I bit my lip. I was not going to cry again. I couldn't. I had cried too much last night out of the guilt. My brother could be lying in a ditch somewhere or in an unidentified grave. He wouldn't have the full funeral that he deserved if he had died over there. And we would never know. He had given an assumed name and age to the military. Otherwise they would have needed my parent's permission.

I decided to write to them. By the time it got to Indiana they would be there.

_Dear Mama,_

_How I wish I had been here when you and Papa arrived! But I do have interesting news. I was out with the Moscovitz son. Mama, he is so handsome! He is very smart, and very funny. Imagine me laughing! I never find anyone funny... he is sarcastic but charming. _

_I wish you were here to help me. Mama, I have my very first beau! He is very tall, has brown, kind of shaggy hair (which his mother wants him to cut, but he refuses), and his eyes...Mama, he has the most amazing brown eyes that I have ever seen. It is almost like he sees deep within my soul with them. Imagine I did not know him only a month and a half ago! _

_He gave me my very first kiss last nigh. Mama, remember when you told me about your and Papa's kiss? You said it like butterflies were in the deepest part of your belly? It felt like that, plus I felt so lightheaded I thought I would faint! Mama, I am so confused, is that what love is? Is it possible that I love a boy I only just met?_

_But he's also going to be leaving. He is joining the Navy when he turns eighteen in January (aren't you proud that I am dating an older man?). I turn positively silly when I think about him! But his mother and father cannot know about this...they would be far too upset. Why though? They trust us, don't they? _

_Please don't tell Papa...he still sees me as a little girl. And he would not want me to date a boy he has not met. _

_Your Devoted Daughter, Mia_

_P.S. How did you know Papa was the one? Please tell me so I can know what to look for in Michael...oops, I never told you his name. Isn't it just perfect? Imagine, he would be Prince Michael Renaldo of Genovia....am I being silly? Grandmama would say so._

_Dear Papi (_my nickname for my father)

_I am so upset I missed you and Mama! Lunch would have been lovely! The older Moscovitz's go there sometimes with their colleagues for meetings and whatnot. I would have felt like a true lady had I gone! But what would I have worn? All my clothes are rather American now. _

_I am making friends Papa. Lilly is the girl I am living with. Her brother Michael has also been very kind to me. Sylvia, Tina and Laura are girls I go to school with. I am doing very well in my classes Papa. I am in the eleventh year French class, got an A on my last geometry exam, and doing well in all my other subjects. _

_I must go back to studying now. I love you Papi!_

_Your Faithful Daughter, Melia_

I kept Papa's letter short because I hated lying to him. Telling him that I was simply friends with Michael and nothing else. I wanted to announce to the world that I was with Michael, but Papa would not fully approve. He may say I should, but he didn't want me to be serious about anyone.

I did not have very much time to mull this though through because a knock came to the door. I was alone. Was if safe to answer the door with no one else around? "Hello?" a voice said tentatively.

"Hello?" I said back. "Who is there?"

"It's Tina and Sylvia," it replied.

I slowly opened the door to see my new friends standing there with wide eyes. "We're going to the park and you are coming with us," Sylvia said grabbing me, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. They dragged me wordlessly onto the trolley car. Maybe I was being kidnapped. Maybe the Italian-

My thoughts stopped when we hopped off at the first Central Park stop. We sat on a bench and they smiled.

"So?" Tina asked.

I smiled.

"Did our plan work?" Sylvia hissed.

"He's really as cute as can possibly be."

"Did he take you in his car? I hear boys can convince their fathers to loan them the car if-"Tina yammered on.

Sylvia stopped her.

I laughed, "Look, he got my suit all wet today," I said pointing to the mark on the side of my skirt. I hadn't bothered to change it. I would have had I been back home but I don't know...those sorts of things do not matter as much to me anymore.

"I wish I had a beau of my own. Was this love at first sight?" Tina asked with a sigh as we jumped off the bench

I rolled my eyes. "So last night we had a little bit of lemonade that his mother had made for their friends that had been over earlier in the night. We held hands...kissed a little..."

"What is it like...to kiss a boy?" Tina asked.

"One as _gorgeous_ as Michael?" Sylvia added.

I closed my eyes and thought about Michael. I had been so terribly nervous before he kissed me. Expecting him to ask for permission but he hadn't. He was a pompus American...and I loved it. "He was very gentle."

"Gentle kissers would make _perfect_ husbands," Tina said with a giggle. "Do you love him?"

I half smiled, "It is far too early to tell about that." She was awfully pushy. She had already asked me that.

"Because I was reading this new magazine, _Seventeen_ and it says you can tell if you are in love in five simple steps."

Sylvia and I looked at her like she was absurd. "I heard about that magazine. Who knows, maybe it is right. It can't hurt."

"Girls, I don't know...I don't even know if I _can_ love him."

"But you would like to love him, wouldn't you?" Sylvia asked sagely. We started walking in the direction of Tina's Park Avenue Apartment. "I mean, nearly every girl in school has a crush on him. Everyone is jealous because he only talks to you and that weird Judith girl. No one is jealous of her because...well, there's obviously nothing to be jealous of. But you..." she said with a coy smile, "You look _right_ with him. Everyone was talking about you two at the dance after you left."  
"Oh?" I asked nervously.

"Yes. One boy, Jonathan Hall had heard a rumor that you were coming to the dance so he had planned on asking you for a few dances, but then you came into the hall with him and...well...Jonathan simply had to dance with Minnie Mae in order to resist pounding Michael."

I smiled. Jonathan was a boy in my French class that I had to tutor from time to time. "I never noticed."

"Of course you didn't. You were too involved with making googily eyes with Michael!" Tina practically screamed.

We ran into her bedroom and she pulled the magazine from her dresser drawer, "I have to hide it because Dad doesn't think it's right for me to spend my allowance on a girls magazine."

"How much was it?" I asked, looking at the cover of a blonde girl holding a cut out of the number seventeen.

"Fifteen cents. It's definitely worth it. It tells you how to do your hair properly and how to dress for a first date. Sadly I will be far too old for Seventeen when I have my first date."

Sylvia and I gave her pitying smiles, "It'll be okay," Sylvia promised, trying to remind her that we were there for me and my current problem. Am I in love with Michael?


	10. Didja Get Very Far?

Author's Note: You cannot even begin to understand the stress I'm under right now. Sports. Records. School. Why is life ever so hectic? Seriously. I am going to have an ulcer by Halloween. Pray for my sanity please.

And thanks to those reading. But um, I don't know why **arethosebuglescarmine** wrote about Lucie. Who is Lucie?

MICHAEL:

"Where were you last night?" Felix asked, placing a pin into his map of the world that he had on his wall.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying not to smile.

"We were at the Diner. Judith showed up. Looking for you. You might as well get together with her. No one else is even worth the brain cells…" Kevin said drifting off. "We could double date."

"Well, Mia is definitely worth the brain cells," Felix said, tossing a dart into the board on his door. "Anything happening on that front?"

I smiled, "Kind of. We're not really talking about it though…"

"You kissed her?" Felix asked, mid throw. "Tell me more, I mean details."

I nodded, "Yeah."

"What was it like?" Kevin asked. He was living vicariously through me considering he'd only kissed Miranda.

"Did you get very far?" Felix asked excitedly.

I smiled, "It was nice…the few times we kissed. I wanna take her out somewhere nice though. She _deserves_ something good."

"My dad takes my mom to the Plaza for dinner when he's in trouble. It must be nice," Kevin replied. "Maybe we could finagle jobs and save up for it. We could take our girls somewhere classy together."

I smiled. She was my girl. MY girl. "Sounds good."

"I'm glad that while I'm out there with my butt on the line you boys are back here trying to get laid," Felix said dejectedly.

I turned red. I was not trying to get laid. "That's not true. I'm not trying to get laid."

"Please. Spending all that money on dinner for the girl? Yes you are. Besides, it's easier for you….you're in the same house as her all the time. Come on, you haven't _thought_ about it? You haven't seen her naked yet? Getting out of the shower and 'Oops, I walked in on you' type of thing?"

Both of their eyes bore onto me. "Well…yeah, but not in a serious kind of way. We are both too young. I haven't seen her naked. And…" I started, "Her family. I haven't even met them. I won't until the war is over."

The guys looked at one another.

"Besides, shouldn't you be onto Kevin over there. He's been with Miranda for-"

"I don't need anymore prodding," Kevin said with a smile.

"What?" Felix and I said in unison.

"Gentlemen, as of last night I am _no_ longer a virgin."

Felix fell to the ground and sat criss crossed. "Wow. What's it like?"

Kevin acted like a man of the world and took his time answering. "Very nice. But it's not like we hadn't done anything else before that…"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused but intrigued. I needed to know all this now that I had a girlfriend and from what I knew a possible lifemate.

"We fooled around before, but I never told you guys…"

"Yeah, right," Felix said with a laugh. "Then what exactly did you do?"

I decided to take mental notes as Kevin spoke. He talked about things she had done to him and things he had done to her so that when they finally made love it would take longer to finish. I had you know, done this before alone so I kind of had an idea what he was tallking about. God. If Mia knew we were having this conversation, or that I'd done that on my own she'd probably think I was a disgusting pig and never talk to me again. "I heard that most times guys get too excited and they…you know, finish too soon. So we practiced before hand."

"She actually agreed? You didn't have to pull the '_Baby, I'm leaving in a few weeks to fight a war that we aren't sure we are going to win'_ bullshit, right?"

"No, we did it because we love one another," Kevin said, disgusted. "Plus, all that other stuff can be fun too," he said looking at me. He knew that I was starting to freak out.

I wondered if I was going to wait four years for the 'fun stuff' to begin. But I think if we last through the war I would propose. I mean, why would I keep in touch with her if we weren't? I'm so weird sometimes.

I mean, I only met her last month. You can't consider marrying someone you only met a month before, right? No… no, you can't. It's not possible. Well, unless that girl happens to be one Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Grimaldi Renaldo. That is a girl I could seriously spend some serious time with. You know, like maybe a life time?

I learn something new every day from her. She is smarter than other girls I've met. I mean, sure, Judith knows everything there is to know about science, but she hasn't really experienced anything .She can simply quote from the books. Mia tells me all about the places she's been in Europe. What the Eiffel Tower looks like from up close. What Buckingham Palace looks like (although, at the time I hadn't realized that she had stayed there and was friends with Princess Elizabeth). She's actually seen people have to leave their homes in order to survive. I doubt Judith has ever lived off of Fifth Avenue.

And she helped me with music. She sang my songs for me and helped me work out the kinks in the lyrics. She knew if something wasn't going to work.

_I hope she learns more than Geometry from me._

"Michael, you still with us?" Felix said with a laugh.

I nodded. "Yeah. I am. It's just….I really like her…a LOT. I wasn't expecting anything like this. When I was told a girl was coming to live with us I wasn't expecting…"

"To fall in love?" Kevin guessed. He was better at reading my mind than Felix was.

"I'm _not_ in love," I said defiantely, immediately knowing that I was lying through my teeth. Well, not in love _yet,_ but I knew that it would be impossible not to fall in love.

"Yeah, sure. I'm gonna go home and do-"

"Mia?" Felix teased.

I playfully hit him over the head. "See you guys at school tomorrow."

"I'm done with it moron," Felix said shaking his head. "Remember, I'm leaving on Wednesday."

I sighed. "I'll come over right after school and we can do something, okay?"

"Naw, I'm going to be at the recruiters offices all this week. They have to run tests and stuff to make sure I will be healthy enough."

"Then tomorrow night? We can get dinner, the three of us."

"Michael, it's fine. I'll see you when we get back from the war. We'll have the reunion like we promised. Right in Times Square."

I nodded. It had been hard saying goodbye to the others but Felix was different. I had literally grown up with him. Our mothers had been pregnant together. I gave him a hug and quickly left the room. I didn't want them to see me cry.

Mia wasn't home when I got back. I had really wanted to see her…to talk about Felix. To let her know that the war was effecting us here too. Instead I did my homework.

She came home with both Sylvia and Tina in tow. "Hey girls," I said casually, going into the fridge to get an apple.

"Hi Michael," they said in a voice I knew she had told them.

I smiled and winked at Mia. "What have you been doing to my girl all day?" I asked before I took a big bite out of the fruit.

They sighed, "Mia, did you hear that? He just called you his girl!" Tina squealed.

Mia smiled and shook her head. She definitely was not like the other girls. She had her head on straight. Maybe all European girls did. Thank goodness I didn't fall for a silly AMerican. I laughed in my head because Mia had always referred to us, when she first got here, as silly Americans.

"I am right here Tina, of course I heard him. Now aren't you girls going to tell him?"

"Oh, we brought her to the zoo."

I laughed. "The zoo? Fun. See you later."

MIA:

Okay, this is what I got from the magazine (we ripped it out so I could look for the signs from Michael), (a/n: this is from an article by Abu Muhammad and can be found at:_ ):_

******_Love has certain signs which the intelligent person quickly detects, and the shrewd man readily recognizes. Of these the first is the brooding gaze: the eye is the wide gateway of the soul, the scrutinizer of its secrets, conveying its most private thoughts, and giving expression to its deepest-hid-feelings. You will see the lover gazing at the beloved unblinkingly; his eyes follow the loved one's every movement, withdrawing as he withdraws, inclining as he inclines, just as the chameleon's stare shifts with the shifting of the sun… _**

****

_Sometimes I catch him looking at me then quickly looking away. I continue:_

**_ The lover will direct his conversation to the beloved, even when he purports however earnestly to address another: the affectation is apparent to anyone with eyes to see. When the loved one speaks, the lover listens with rapt attention to her every word; he marvels at everything the beloved says, however extraordinary and absurd his observations may be; he believes him implicitly even when he is obviously in the wrong, testifies on his behalf for all that the may be unjust, follows after him however he may proceed and whatever line of argument he may adopt. The lover hurries to the spot where the beloved is at the moment, endeavours to sit as near to her as possible, sidles up close to her, lays aside all occupations that might oblige him to leave her company, makes light of any matter however weighty that would demand his parting from her, is very slow to move when he takes his leave of him… _**

****

_Um, he totally comes and sits with me at lunch. And when the topic of the war gets brought up and his leaving he blows it off. He doesn't like the idea of leaving. Maybe it's because he could get hurt, or maybe it's because of me. I don't know._

_ The article goes on to say that a lover (I have to hold back laughter when I think of Michael like a lover!) is not afraid to show their beloved off. That they enjoy kissing and holding hands. This is something I will watch for in the future._

We did homework that night as we normally did, and listened as his parents listened to their radio program. "If you get three problems in a row correct," he whispered, "I'll kiss you."

I smiled and set to my work. "You know, my parents came by today on their way to the train station."

He looked upset, "Oh? They did?"

"I missed them. They wanted to get lunch together, at the Plaza. They left me letters with an address I could reach them at."

He nodded slowly, "Well, that's good, right? You know they are safe at least, right?"

"Of course….it's just sad that they were there waiting while I was out having fun-"

"You are supposed to," he argued. "Now, get to work."

He didn't get to kiss me though. His mother came in to talk to us about Halloween. "Shall I help you make a costume, Mia?" she asked.

"Why? What is Halloween?"

"I always forget you aren't aware of our customs, I'm sorry," Mom replied. "You dress up and we always have a party. Well, I'm sure you kids would much rather the party at the school…"

"Like All Saints Day?" I asked. I looked at Michael. "We wear masks so that the devil doesn't get us. It's so much fun. Simon liked wearing scary masks to scare me."

Mrs. Moscovitz patted my shoulder, "Simon being your butler, right?"

Oh. Right. She doens't know that Michael knows everything, including my brother.

I smiled, "Thank you Mrs. Moscovitz. But what shall I be? We have to make my mask."

"A whole costume, dear."

"Okay, so what shall my costume be?"

"I will think about it. Michael," she started.

"Yes Mother dear?" he asked, looking at her innocently. He had his hand on my knee under the table. I was shaking with nervousness. He was only inches from being under my skirt.

"I signed you up for dance lessons."

He nearly choked on his milk. "You did _what_?"

She shook her head. "You need them. You are hopeless with dancing. How will you ever dream of meeting a girl to marry if you can't dance? No proper young woman doesn't know how to dance."

I looked sweetly at him. "_I_ know how to dance."

She smiled weakly at me, "See Michael? Mia is very proper."

He smirked. "Fine."

"So, instead of paying for a class I could teach him. It would be my way of paying you back for taking me in-"

"Mia, you don't worry about it. You are part-"

"I honestly don't mind. We can do it after our mathematics tutorial," I replied with an honest smile. "Unless he would rather see the girls in the other class..."

He shot a sideways glance at me. "That would be better. Mom, I get so nervous around regular girls. I would rather have a lesson in my room with Mia than in some studio with a total stranger."

Mrs. Moscovitz smiled knowingly. She thought we had simple crushes on one another and found it to be cute. Cute puppy love.

"You sure you wouldn't mind, Mia?" Mrs. Moscovitz asked.

I shrugged, surprising both Michael and his mother. It wasn't like me to use such a motion. "I guess it would be good. Plus, I haven't practiced in ages."

She smiled. She thought I was covering up my crush on Michael with indifference. Mother's are so silly.


	11. Hey Zeus

Author's Note: Okay, thanks for all the reviews guys, I really appreciate them.

World War II did cause many Jewish people to go into hiding. But as far as I know the Nazi's didn't quite cross the Atlantic and therefore the Jewish people of New York were in no danger from Hitler and his followers.

Therefore Michael and his family would not be in danger. They would not be in hiding at all. Only Doctor Moscovitz (just the father in this story) is from Europe. His entire family moved from Genovia during the first World War. Therefore, no Moscovitz's are harmed in this story. For now. Or maybe forever. I don't really know.

Thanks everyone. I don't know when I'll be updating but Thanks to Mrs. Schwartzman for updating for me. She is amazingly talented. You should all read her stories under risethesettingstar.

MIA:

We did not see very much of one another the next day. But when we did he made it obvious (well, to me, Sylvia and Tina) that he was in love with me. He sat right next to me, even when his friends called him over to their table. He whispered, "Wanna go sit on our own?"

I smiled and followed as he carried our trays to a quiet table that was by the janitor's office (so clearly no one wanted to be near it!). I turned to my friends and they sat in shock. They knew he liked me but this was love. Utter love and devotion.

But he didn't walk me and Lilly home. He told us he had some errands to run with Kevin. "He probably has to go with Kevin to pick out an engagement ring for Miranda," Lilly said, rolling her eyes.

"Engagement ring?" I asked

"Yeah. They're going to get married. They've been together forever."

"Why does she need a ring?" I asked, kicking a pebble. I slid on my cardigan that had once been deemed unusable because of the heat.

"They don't have them in Genovia?"

I shook my head.

"The boy gives the girl a ring. Usually a diamond."

I shook my head, "I would never want a diamond," I replied. I had too many of them, all different sizes. They were currently in storage in a secure Swiss location.

"Why not?" she asked, adjusting her bag.

"Because...I do not care for them."

"What would you rather?"

I shrugged. "I've never given it much thought. We do not put so much importance on jewels in Genovia. They are simply just there, you know what I mean?"

"You seem like the emerald kind of girl."

"I have plenty of time to concern myself with that. Besides, if I am in Genovia then I will not get an engagement ring."

"But if you married Michael you would. He is a stickler for tradition. You would live with my family for a little while, then go get your own place once he has three post graduate degrees."

I smiled at her naiveté. "Who says he'll want to marry me?"

"Mia, it's obvious that he is head over heels in love with you. Even Judith has seen it and moved on."

"But after the war things will be different..." I said wistfully, realizing how different things would be.

"No. You can tell your folks you want to finish high school in New York. Then you can marry Michael."

"They want me to have a higher education," I replied with a sigh. No girl I knew was going to college.

"You are going to University?" Lilly said with wide eyes.

"Yes...not that I want to or anything but I have no choice. They hadn't planned on sending me but our situation has changed."

She looked at me skeptically but didn't press. "Then you can go to University here. Michael is supposed to go to Harvard, like our dad, and you can go to Wellesley. It'd be perfect. He can get a car or something and drive out to see you on weekends."

"Lilly, we only started dating in the past few days. Let's not look too far ahead, okay?"

She smiled, "Sorry, I'm just not used to seeing him like this, you know? He's never liked another girl."

"I have never liked another boy," I countered. "And I find him very attractive and-"

"You kissed him, right?"

I smiled. "Yes....well, he kissed me."

"Same difference."

"Just...I don't want to jinx it, you know?"

"Mia, you won't. You will end up with him."

_God I hope so._

MICHAEL

Kevin and I went to the diner to get jobs as busboys/waiters. The owners know us and know that we are responsible so they gave us jobs without a real interview. I went home and Kevin went to Miranda's to study.

Lilly and Mia weren't home. I guess they went to Tina's or something. I fumbled through the mail and saw the letter Mia had gotten from her father. I ignored the actual writing and looked at the address and knew what I had to do.

_Mr. Thermopolis _(I had to pretend I didn't know about the whole princess thing so Mia wouldn't be in trouble)

_You are probably curious as to who I am and why I am writing to you. I am sure you are very busy so I am going to explain quickly._

_My name is Michael Moscovitz and I am seventeen years old. You were friends with my father when he grew up in Genovia and your daughter, Mia, is now living with my family. She stays in my sisters room and spends a great deal of time in there doing her private writing and who knows what else?_

_I am writing to ask permission to court your daughter. I have fallen in love with her, which I certainly had not expected to do. See, we both had expectations of what one another would be like. She expected me to be a pompus American jerk. I expected her to be a spoiled European brat. We were both right, but have discovered that we liked that about one another. That we could become better people when we are around one another. I have tried to simply be friends with her, but I find it hard to ignore my tender feelings toward her. _

_I have not acted on these feelings because I felt it would only be right to write to you first. I am in love with her, sir. She's taught me more in the past month about humanity than anyone ever has. _

_Let me tell you a little about myself. As I said, I am seventeen years old. I have been accepted early to Harvard University where my father attended school. I plan on becoming an engineer of some sort upon my graduation. But I also intend on pursuing further post graduate degrees after I graduate._

_Before college I also intend on enlisting in the war effort, in the Navy. I'm told that the war will be over very soon so I will not be gone for very long. And I will be very safe. The American military will train me well for three months before I will be shipped to the Pacific. _

_Upon my return I will finish my second semester of my senior year of high school and then will go to Harvard as planned. _

_Throughout all this I would like to remain with Mia. As I said before, I am in love with her, sir. I do not think I would be able to deal with everything without her by my side. But that can be discussed in later letters. _

_Please give me your blessing_

_Waiting Faithfully,_

_Michael Moscovitz_

I stuck it into an envelope and placed a stamp on it. I ran to the mail room so that Mia wouldn't know. Not that I was embarrassed of it, but I didn't want her to know that I was asking her father's permission. She might think I'm proposing or something .Those girls she is with are always putting thoughts into her head.

We did homework, as usual and then retired to my room. "I'm loaning her some books," I explained to my parents.

We sat at the edge of my bed and I read from my favorite book, Huckleberry Finn (I know, kind of childish, but still my all time favorite). "Michael, your mother and I are going to your grandparents. Granny isn't feeling well. Will you watch the girls?"

I waved him away, "Yeah, Dad."

It was really nice after my parents left because then we shut the door and laid back in my bed and cuddled as I read out loud. "Michael, I need to see Tina. Big emergency with her curls. I'll be home before nine, okay?" Lilly said, poking her head into my room.

Mia sheepishly sat up. "Shall I come with you?"

Lilly laughed, "Don't get ahead of yourselves kids."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mia asked innocently.

I gave her a look, "Do you really need me to tell you?"

She smiled, "Maybe you could give me an example?"


	12. Black Out

_**Author's Note: I know. It's been wicked long huh? You really have no idea how much has been going on .Well, one of you do. **_

_When we last left.._

_"What is that supposed to mean?" Mia asked innocently._

_I gave her a look, "Do you really need me to tell you?"_

_She smiled, "Maybe you could give me an example?"

* * *

_

Michael:

I put the book down on my nightstand and took her face in my hands and kissed her intently. I tentatively opened my mouth and she mirrored my actions. I had only heard stories from Kevin about this 'French kissing', but I was very much interested.

We were kneeling on our knees on my bed, exploring the intricate regions of one another's mouths with our tongues. "Michael, we should stop…" she said pathetically as she rested her head on the crook of my neck.

"Didn't you like that?" I asked, worried I had done this wrong. She would most likely know considering she probably had done that with princes in Europe.

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"I just…I didn't know if I was good…you know, compared to…"

"Compared to who?" she said with laughter in her eyes.

"I dunno….other boys back home?"

She stroked my cheek, "Don't be so foolish Moscovitz," she said, taking my nickname for her and turning it on me. "I am simply saying we should stop because I enjoyed your….your kisses too much," she said blushing. "Honestly-"

Before she could finish the sirens went off. "W-What's going on?" she said, nervous.

"Help me," I said pulling the curtains. "We have to pull them all back," I explained.

Her lip started quivering, "What's going on?"

"It's only practice," I said calmly, looking at my watch. "They do this from time to time. Follow me."

I knew it was useless to try to get her to do anything. She was too scared. "Are the Germans here?" she asked shakily, looking around nervously.

"No," I replied, hoping I sounded more sure of myself than I really was. "They just have to make sure we are prepared _in case_ of an attack. They black out all the lights."

She sat in the hall as I raced up and down to make sure all the curtains were drawn. "Now what?" she whispered.

"We wait."

"How long?"

"Well, about a half an hour or so the sirens will stop. Then people are allowed to come out again."

Her lip quivering spread to her tears.

I took her into my arms, "It's okay sweetie…ssh now," I said not knowing what else to say.

She looked up at me and leaned in to kiss me.

MIA:

I don't know what came over me. I just kept kissing him. It made me not think of the reality that was outside. That there were the same sirens that had gone off when my family and I escaped through the secret passages in the palace. The sirens had been put on so that no one would see us. Everyone would be hidden in their own homes with curtains drawn.

Michael was very kind and let me just kiss him silly. He must think I'm what do you say….easy? But I'm not sleeping with him or letting him touch me in bad places. It's only tongue kissing.

I remember this one boy last year tried to stick his tongue in my mouth, so I bit it. He was no longer my dance partner.

But Michael's…I cannot possibly begin to explain it. He didn't jam it in my mouth like Edgar had. Michael was gentle. Sweet. Kind. Made me get that light in the belly feeling. So I reciprocated.

It's an odd thing. No one had actually told me not to kiss boys, or to jolly with them on their hallway floor. But I know that Simon had been scolded for doing this (or something like it) with a servant girl right before our birthday. I do believe that they had been in love. That he had promised to return for her after the war.

Suddenly we realized that the sirens had ended. That his family would soon be returning. That they would most likely not like seeing Michael and I kissing in their hallway, with no one else home. He walked me to my bedroom and stood in the doorway, still kissing me.

"Michael, it is very late," I scolded. "You mustant keep me up like this."

"At this rate I'm going to be up for a long time anyways."

I looked at him and tried to read his mind. I hated when he made that face. I couldn't read it at all. "Fine. But I do require _eight_ solid hours of sleep."

He pecked me on the cheek and winked. "Then goodnight princess," he whispered.

I sat in my bed with my nightgown on and brushing my hair. I had dyed it before I left the palace so that no one would recognize me. They had just released the family portrait and everyone had made a big deal about my 'beautiful blonde hair' right before we left. So my parents thought it would be smart to dye it black. No one would notice it on the ship this way. I missed my long blonde hair. It had been my _one_ true beauty before they made me hack it off and dye it.

The blackout was all the talk at school the next day. Lilly badgered me about what happened while she was gone. I simply smiled at Michael and turned red.

"Oh, nothing."

"Yeah, if you call that mark on my brother's neck nothing," she said rolling her eyes.

I looked at Michael's neck while he was reading a book at his locker. Oh no! I had left kiss marks on him!  
"Michael," I hissed.

"One second," he said. "Lemme finish this....what's up?" he asked, holding my hand.

"Your neck!" I hissed again.

He touched the spot and smirked, "Oh well. No big deal."

"Did your parents see?"

"I was wearing my muffler this morning. I'll stay in my room tonight. No one will notice, I promise," he said looking around before kissing my cheek. "Don't stress. You look cuter when you don't squish up your face like that."

MICHAEL:

It was really hard to pull away from her last night. But I had already had a feeling that she'd be able to tell exactly how happy I was to see her if I hadn't.  
I walked her to all of her classes, everyone knew we were officially together. Well, other than my parents. But I think my mom knows.

"I hear you are making it with that new girl," Josh Richter whispered during English.

I rolled my eyes. "No."

"You haven't done it with her yet?" he asked. "But she's living with you. Why not?"

"Because I'm not like that," I hissed. I knew what would happen. I would be the one to be in trouble. Josh never was.

"Mr. Moscovitz? Do you care to tell me why Beowulf wanted to slay Grendel?"

Kevin and I made our way to our new jobs that afternoon. "At the rate we are going we'll have enough for our dates right before I leave in December," Kevin announced proudly.

Then it would just be me. And Mia. For some reason I was okay with that. Like, that was all I really needed now. Man. I was growing up. Scary.

"Do you ever wish you could spend all your extra time with Miranda?"

He smiled, "Totally. I'm..um..." he started, pulling me aside, "I'm going to propose tonight."

"_What_?" I said quickly.

"Yeah. My mom gave me her engagement ring to give to Miranda."

"Why _tonight_?"

"Why not tonight? I mean, then she'll have a few weeks to plan a wedding before I leave. Plus, it's our anniversary. Four years now."

I shook my head as I wiped down the counter. "You are nuts."

"But I love her. I don't care what everyone else thinks. You'll stand up for me, right?"

I nodded, "No question about it pal. OF course I will."

He gave me the biggest smile, I knew right then that he was doing the right thing. "I couldn't live with myself if I left her here all alone. She'll live with my mom while I'm gone. They'll keep one another company. Then when my dad and I get back she and I can get our own place. I'll work in my dad's company."

I nodded. He had it all planned out.

"What are you going to do?"

"Probably finish school. Go to college. I hear that they are giving veterans free education."

"After you serve for two years or something."

"Still. I could do that."

"Be away from Mia for that long?" he teased.

"What about you and Miranda? How will you do it?"

"Hopefully we'll have a baby. Then they have to station me stateside."

"Stop talking like a grown up already," I said shaking my head. "Talking about babies? You _are_ nuts."

"Well…that's the other thing. She's kind of hoping to be pregnant now. That's why we really did it last week…before I told you and Felix. That way no matter what she'll have a part of me with her."

"Don't talk like that man…" I said biting my lip. He was talking about a reality that we could all face. Dying out there.

He shook his head, "I know. We'll all get back here like we planned. Have a celebratory lunch right here in the diner."

I nodded. Somehow I knew we wouldn't. Not all of us.


	13. Halloween

Weeks started passing by quickly and it was soon Halloween. Mia was dressed as a nurse. I dressed as a sailor, which angered my mother because she thought it would upset Mia.

 But Mia simply smiled when she saw me, "You look handsome," she whispered on her tip toes into my ear. "I love a man in a uniform."

 Lilly was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and begged me to have Frued as Toto. I refused. Animals should never be dressed up. Tina, Laura and Syliva were the Tin Man (get it, Tina, Tin Man, haha, only _I_ thought this was funny), Laura was the Cowardly Lion, and Sylvia was the Scarecrow.

 "Mia, you should have been Glenda the Good Witch," Laura said in a whiney voice.

 Mia smiled, "I haven't seen the movie. I don't know anything about it."

 Lilly rolled her eyes, "We defiantly have a lot of work to do with you, Mia."

 "Naw, I think she's perfect," I replied smiling at my girlfriend of _one month_.

 She  blushed and the others sighed. "Mia, you are so lucky. Had I known Michael was this sweet _I_ would have chased him," Sylvia said as we entered the school gym.

 "And he would have gone the other way," Lilly teased.

   I put my arm around Mia as I handed our tickets to the freshman in charge of ticket collecting.  We looked around and saw people we faintly recognized through costume. This was much smaller than the gathering the previous year. The costume contest winner from the previous year was now in Europe . The girl that won was a nurse with the Red Cross. No one really even remembered their names.

   "I'm going to get some punch," Mia announced while I was talking to Kevin.

 "Okay baby," I said kissing her cheek.

 She and Lilly went to the bowl and Josh came by the table, "You know, a _real_ gent would get the punch for her," he said with a smirk before he went over to the table.

  Kevin and I watched as Josh stood behind Mia as she and Lilly giggled about something they had been whispering about. He said something and Lilly shook her head. Mia said something.

 "What a guy!" Kevin said shaking his head. "I mean, going in on your girl like that. He has that-" he stopped himself as we saw Jill Weinberger flirting with one of our classmates.

  I saw Mia smile at him and laugh. Why was she laughing like that with him? She's _my_ girl. She shouldn't be laughing like that with other guys. She shouldn't look at another boy like that!

  Kevin and Miranda started talking to another couple about their impending nuptials (set for mid December. He was shipping out with me in January).  I bit my lip as I watched Mia talking to Josh. Lilly glanced over, which caused Josh to look my way. He waved with his cocky grin.

  Mia smiled to me in the way only she can, and then said good bye to Josh. "Hey there handsome," she said with a grin.

 "What were you talking about with him?" I demanded.

 She looked slightly taken back. "Because we were talking about Genovia. He was asking me about it."

 "Doesn't hurt that he just broke up with Jill, does it?"  I mumbled.

 "And?" she said sweetly.

 "Mia, he's gonna go after you now."

 She burst out laughing and put her hand on my knee, "Michael, he can go after me all he wants 'cuz all I want is to be going after you."

 I lightened after that. "Dance with me," I said standing up and extending my hand.

   I like slow dancing with her. She is allowed to stand reasonably close to me (when the chaperones aren't watching us). She whispered into my ear so the I would loosen up. She was always trying to get me to loosen up with _her. _But I was so…scared. Scared that I would screw it all up.

       Meanwhile I was trying to get her to loosen up around everyone else. She still acted cool toward a lot of people. Clearly not to me or Lilly, but still distant even from those who were her friends.

* * *

  We went straight home after the dance. "It's great about Miranda and Kevin, isn't it?" she asked, watching them walk in front of us. The Wizard of Oz crew went over Tina's.

 "What about them?" I asked, watching my breath in the air.

 "She was showing me her ring today after classes let out. I never knew girls got ring for engagement. Lilly told me about it."

 I looked at her while she spoke and smiled. She was hinting.

 "She looked really happy. _Nervous_ though."

 "Nervous?"

 "Yes. I mean, her true love is leaving her."

 "Oh…"

 "I know I'll be crushed when you leave," she said looking at the ground.

 I smiled, "What are you saying?" I asked, stopping our stroll. Who cared if is was in the low fifties that night? I couldn't be feeling any warmer.

 "Huh?" she asked, startled by my abruptness.

I waited until Kevin and Miranda were out of sight. "Mia, I know we've only known each other two months…and only been dating for about a month now…but I…I think I might be in love with you."

 There I had said it.

MIA:

   My eyes widened as he said these words to me. "I love you too," I whispered. "I mean…Michael…I'm in love with you," I said softly.

 We sat down on the same stoop we had sat on the night he first kissed me. "I think I fell in love the very first day I laid eyes on you," I admitted. "In some strange sort of way…"

 We held hands then and just looked at one another. We didn't dare say another word, didn't dare ruin the moment.

  What seemed like only minutes later Lilly came by. "What are you two doing here?" she asked with a laugh.

 We just smiled and got up and walked the rest of the way home together.

    "As a proper date," he whispered. "I'll simply walk you to your bedroom door and then I will leave."

 I smirked. "Who says you are such a _proper_ date?" I teased.

 He looked at his parents bedroom door, then leaned in and softly kissed me. "Goodnight baby."

 And then he turned and left.

 "What happened tonight?" Lilly asked as I went into our room, on a cloud.

 "He _loves_ me," I squealed.

 "Well of course he does. He worships the ground you walk on. He finally told you?"

  I smiled, "Yes…"

 "And you?"

"I love him with every fiber of my being," I said softly. "But he's leaving so soon…"

 "So? He'll be back Mia. How romantic is that? You could be his will to live!"

 I laughed, "I don't think I shall ever be anyone's will to live."


	14. Homework? In Bed?

_Author's Note:Teenage boys, no matter whatdecade they arefrom, are obbessed with sex and what girls look like under their clothes. Sad, I know, but it's the truth. Even our sweet innocent Michael thinks about it._

_ I don't own anyone. I realize that I never say that. But I don't, and I have not owned anyone in my previous chapters nor will I in the future. So just remember this note 'cuz I most likely will always forget to say that.

* * *

_

Weeks continued to fly by, _much_ to our dismay.The time we would have together was slipping away before our very eyes. I loved spending time with him, but he went to his new job every day after school with Kevin. "Maybe he's saving up to live his life with you," Tina suggested one late November day.

"Oh please," I said waving my hand at her. I would never have to worry about money. My inheritance was already determined upon my birth. I would either become sovereign ruler or remain the princess. The very fact that I was breathing made me worth millions of dollars upon my father's death.

But no one could know that. Only Michael could. He had to if I was to spend my life with him.

Michael and I still spent nights reading out loud to one another. "You have a nice voice," he said lying on his floor.

I smiled. I always smile now because of him. "Thanks."

"Very soothing," he said with his eyes closed.

"What is going to happen tomorrow?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Thanksgiving?"

"Oh. It's not like it used to be," he started. "Mom saved all her ration coupons practically for tomorrow. It's the unofficial kick off for the Christmas season."

"Oh…"

"They start shopping for Christmas. _We_ don't, we're Jewish," he further explained. "Well, my mom is Catholic...like you. But we kids are Jewish. My mom usually celebrates on her own for Christmas. Midnight mass or something."

I hadn't thought about that. "Christmas presents…."

"No…_Hannukah_," he replied easily.

I closed my book and bit my lip. "No, Christmas. It's my first without Mama and Papa…and Grandmama and Grandpapa…and Lars…and Simon. Where do you think he is right now? Do you think he will celebrate Christmas all alone?"

"I dunno," Michael replied uneasily. "What do you do for Christmas? All my friends are Jewish so…"

I smiled as I thought of our last real Christmas. We hadn't been truly effected by the war last year. They hadn't touched us yet. Now our palace was gone.

_I had thought I would spend every Christmas from then on in my beautiful home. The Christmas tree would stand proudly in our grand hall with all of our presents spread out underneath. Last year Mama had given me a painting of her home in _ _Indiana__. Simon had given me an original copy of Little Women. Papa gave me a journal to write all my adventures in. _

_ Grandpapa had given me a brooch with tiny diamonds in it. "Just right for a girl your age," he had said with a smile, his moustache curling up. I had hugged him so tightly, maybe I knew it would be the last we would be together for a long time. _

_ Grandmama gave me a strand of pearls. "You are nearly sixteen. You will need these for your social season," she explained. "Can't have you going to all the balls without a proper set of pearls. Who knows what kind of young men you would attract without them!" _

_ I had written each member of my family a poem. Even Grandmama was impressed with them. _

"Mia? What did your family do for the holidays?" Michael asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh…well, Simon and I were allowed to open one present after we attended midnight mass at the National Cathedral. I always opened the one he gave me and he did the same…you know, with the gift I give him. Anyways, then he and I would pretend to go to sleep….but we were always too excited. We would sneak into our playroom and play Monopoly and card games. They always found us there asleep on the floor. But then they'd wake us for our presents. Mama and Papa were always excited about them. Both always put a great deal of thought into the presents…."

"What's wrong?" he asked, noting the change in my tone.

"I had almost forgotten about the holidays," I explained. "I was so focused on you…and how you are leaving in a little over a month-"

"Mia, don't think about it. I'll be back for you," he promised, sitting up on his knees so he was face level with me. "Forever. I love you, remember?"

I loved him more than I had the night I originally told him that. And I loved when he told me that back. "Michael, what am I to do when you leave? Why must everyone leave me because of this stupid war? Why are so many lives-"

"Close your eyes," he whispered.

I did.

"When we are apart just picture me. Like I am right now. Holding onto you. I'll be here always if you just picture it….and you can do that with your parents, with Simon. Just close your eyes and imagine them at a really happy time," he whispered.

I very suddenly opened my eyes, with my lips quivering I kissed him. "I love you so much Michael. When am I going to be with you again like this? What if this is only a mere _moment_ in our lives? What if Grandmama makes me marry some stupid prince from a country that banished stupid royalty? What if-"

He stopped me with feverish kisses. He stood up, and I did the same so he wouldn't stop kissing me. Then we fell onto his bed. He pulled back once he was on top of me. "I would never do anything to disrespect you…" he started with a pained look. "But sometimes it's just…so…difficult, you know?" he said , letting his head fall into the crook of my neck. "I just love you so much baby."

That was his tender pet name for me. I called him sweetheart. "Sweetheart, I know. I would never disrespect _you_. But why are you stopping?"

He leaned on his elbows and sighed, heavily. "Because I love you. I can't let myself push you."

I tried to read his expression. "You are too noble at times," I teased, pushing his hair behind his ears.

"Not too many of us left," he agreed.

"I'm not asking you to be noble," I said huskily. "I want you to be Michael Robert Moscovitz. These are in fact different times than when our parents grew up," I said wrapping my arms around his neck. He was breathing really heavily now.

"Oh?" he asked with a smirk.

"Am I being too forward?" I asked with a laugh. "I mean….Oh God…I am so very different from the girl you first met, aren't I?"

"A good different," he agreed.

"I'm being a hussy. Grandmama always warned-"

He stopped me with another kiss.

"Michael, what is that?" I asked, referring to something poking me. "Were you doing homework in bed again? I think your pen is sticking-"

He rolled away and crouched down. "Sorry Mia."

I bit my lip, "What? Where'd the pen go?" I asked looking around for it. "I bet your father is going to be upset if you lost it."

AN: HAHA, what's gonna happen next? Tune in Next Week!


	15. How to Work a Pen

Author's Note: You guys are going to think I'm totally wrong with this part, but I'm not. Just trust that I know what I'm doing. This has revelance and isn't just random.

MICHAEL:

She had no idea what she was dealing with. She kept talking about my _pen_. Really she should have been talking about my pen_is_. Good God…."Yeah, I…I…um…I gotta go," I mumbled.

"It's _your_ room," she said with an easy smile.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Why? You smell fine."

I shook my head. She's so naive. "I just need one."

She grabbed my hand over the doorknob. "Stay."

"Mia, I really can't," I said through gritted teeth.

"Just turn around in a second, okay?" she said softly. "Promise you won't open the door."

I waited a minute. "Now?"

"Now."

I turned and saw that she was wearing only her slip and brassiere. "Mia we-"

She put her fingers to my lips with one hand, and pulled me to the bed with the other. "I know I seem naive and innocent. And all those childish adjectives you can think of. But I get this. I hate having this unquenchable feeling in my stomach everytime we kiss. And I know _why_ we shouldn't," she said softly, untying my tie. I watched intently, taking in her smell. God. I hope she couldn't tell how fast my heart was beating.

She kept her eyes locked with mine as she did her slow steady movements. Had she been planning this all the while? I didn't care at that moment. Cuz right then my shirt was being slipped off of my shoulders by the most beautiful woman on the planet.

I swallowed hard, "Are you sure?" I whispered. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

She looked like she was going to change her mind for a minute. "No," she said stepping on her tip toes to kiss me softly. "I want this."

What had changed her mind? I didn't bother asking questions. I felt the smooth silk of her slip and looked away. Oh God. There I go again. Probably going to freak her out.

But then again, we are two typical teenagers. My dad always says that there are two assurances in life; that if you spit in the wind it'll end up in your face, and teenagers will be the most hormonal creatures on earth.

She could feel me and looked down. She took my hands and led me to the bed. I tried to figure out how the hell I was going to manage this. My bed is small. I'm kind of tall, so is she . I braced myself on my elbows. "We can stop if you want Mia."

"Do _you_ want to stop?" she asked with wide eyes. "We can kiss for a little while and see where it goes from there, okay?"

I nodded. How was she so calm about all this? Had she… "How much experience do you have?" I asked softly. "Cuz this is all kind of new to me."

She looked hurt, "Michael, I've never even _kissed _anyone else.You know that."

I kissed her forehead and then her nose and then her lips. Before too long we were both too busy kissing to remember that we had such very little clothes on. I forgot to worry about nobility.

I noticed her wincing. "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

She bit her lip, "Just stay there for a second…."

I waited for what seemed like an eternity before she told me to continue.I won't lie, it was kind of painful. "You sure?"

She nodded, "Yes. Please."

I laughed. She was always so polite, even when we were in this type of situation. It hurt me to see her in any pain so I really was in conflict here. Do I continue and make _myself_ happy, and cause her pain? Or do I stop and make _her_ happy (and in making her happy making myself happy)?

I didn't have time to make a decision. My body decided for me. "Sorry," I mumbled, turning away from her. Geez, not _too_ embarrassing huh?

She bit her lip. "That wasn't _so_ bad."

Great. Just what a guy wants to hear. "Um, okay?"

"I mean, it hurt for about two seconds."

Which is as long as I lasted. "I'm sorry I hurt you," I said turning back to her. She hid her upper torso under my blanket. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not…I don't want you to see my stomach again," she said nervously.

We locked eyes for the first time since we finished making love. "Mia, I love you. _Everything_ about you. But if you don't want me to see that it's fine. It's your body and your decision."

MIA:

I smiled. He was amazing. I mean, I still don't see the big deal about _doing It_. I mean, it started feeling kind of nice but then he pulled away. He had finished he had explained. I didn't get that.

So he explained that other than having the feeling of being close to someone you love the purpose of making love is to have a climax. And he had climaxed. And I was the one who made him do it too!

It was odd. I mean, one minute we were in his room reading and necking a little bit. But then this feeling just overcame me and I got a funny feeling in the pit of my belly. This is what Simon said he felt like when he did It for the first time with Maria, my lady in waiting. The love of his life for about an hour.

I had taken one look at Michael and that's it. His tie was loose and the top button of his shirt was undone. I caught sight of his chest hair and knew right then that I didn't want his shirt on him. I didn't want mine on me either. I wondered what it'd feel like to feel his hairy chest.

I'm weird. Hairy chests do weird things to me. I became a totally different person. I couldn't recognize myself. I was this confident and sexy woman who knew what she wanted. Didn't know _how_ to get it, but knew what _it_ was exactly.

But Michael had a good idea. He was terribly nervous though. His breathing was totally uneven and he was moving like a zombie. But I liked that. I like when he moved slowly.

It hurt. It felt like someone was stabbing me. But then the pain became dull and I got a hint of why he was enjoying himself. About why Simon had been so cheerful after his escapades with Maria.

_Next time. _I think this would be a thing we'd have to work at. So there'd have to be a next time.


	16. A Wedding

Author's Note: To WTF (if you are still reading this story that apparently sucks..wait, no it sux right? Have I got the spelling correct?):

Read the note at the beginning of the story. It clearly states that this is OOC (out of character) and AU (alternate universe). Therefore I agree. Mia and Michael are out of character. THat's the point.

Secondly, yes, I did write about Michael being RUDE to Mia. But if you continued reading before judging based on two chapters you would see that he is a teenage boy. Rude one minute, and nice the next. Also, he had been tired and annoyed that he had to go and pick up a strange girl. But he has to be nice to her because she is in a totally new place.

Where did I ever say they had TVs? IF you are going to accuse me of not doing any sort of research you might want to look yourself. _Life of Riley_ was a RADIO program back in the 1940's. Michael asks her if she wants to LISTEN with him that night.

Who says she is going to be the 'hero' in this story? First of all, she grew up in a palace and was raised by her grandmother, along with her parents. She's used to a totally different life.

I'm sorry if you don't like the story. But it's incrediably RUDE to go and say it 'sux'. Don't bother reviewing unless you know what you are talking about or at least have something constructive to say.

Otherwise, to everyone else, enjoy.

MICHAEL:

We've done it. Holy....crap. I thought I was going to pass out. Both of us were so nervous...not knowing exactly what to expect. But it wasn't the actual...um...act that made me feel the way I do. It's after.

She was lying next to me biting her lower lip. "That's it?" she asked. "What's the big deal?"

I blushed, "Um..."

"I mean, yes. I am fully aware of the possible consequences but seriously..."

I kissed her lips softly, "You okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"You are blabbering on. You blabber when you are nervous."

It was now her turn to blush. "I don't know...it is just....." she started, looking thoughtful. "Mother and I had a discussion. She believes I should have some idea about...these sorts of things. SHe told me to wait until...you know..."

"You are married?" I guessed.

"Right. And....well, that some boys would leave once-"

"I'm not leaving you. Not for long anyways. I'll come back for you."

She smirked. I could tell it was what she was waiting for me to say.

* * *

I had been corresponding with her father in the past weeks, without her knowing. He had decided that I could in fact court his daughter, _despite_ the fact that I was not Catholic. That I was Jewish. He explained that normally he would not approve but considering I was 'Leroy's son' I was fine. And that since I had taken the initi tave to get to know him that I sounded like a respectful boy.

_God, if he only knew. _

"I'm using this money to get a down payment on a house for me and Miranda," Kevin announced at work the following Friday.

"What?" I said, "What about our plan?"

He sighed, "Moscovitz, there are some more important things than a fancy dinner. Like a _real _life with Miranda. We don't want to live with my parents forever. You can still do it though."

No. He had a very good point. I knew what I was going to do.

* * *

"Straighten your tie," Mom said as we were getting ready to leave for Kevin's wedding.

I sighed and did as I was told. "This is so weird."

"I know," she said with a laugh. "But honestly, I was your age when I married your father."

"How old was Dad?" I asked, looking in a mirror.

"Twenty five."

"I hadn't realized he was that much older than you," I replied.

"I always liked older men," she laughed.

Just then the girls emerged from Lilly's bedroom. I looked down the hall and saw Mia. She was wearing a red silk dress that she had brought from Genovia. "I've been saving it for a special occasion," she explained with a wink.

"We ready to go?" Dad said before I could manage a word.

The five of us walked to City Hall to be witnesses for Kevin and Miranda. We saw their families there, but not many other people. Miranda had some girlfriends there as well.

"Randy, Kevin's friend there, he's so handsome," one of them hissed loud enough for everyone to hear.

Miranda laughed knowingly. "Yes, he is, but spoken for," she whispered so my parents wouldn't hear.

I sat next to Mia with my parents sitting in the front with Kevin's folks. We let our hands inch toward one another through the ceremony. By the end she was squeezing it tightly and fighting back tears.

"Are you okay?" I whispered.

"They're just so lucky," she said smiling. "Linked together forever."

I nodded, "I suppose."

"Michael, we are going to the house. Your father forgot his reading glasses," my mother said re-adjusting her hat. "Can you escort the girls?"

I nodded. "Yes Mom. I'll take them."

Lilly knew what was happening that day and made herself scarce. "I'm going to walk over with Randa's friends. Torture them with bath stories of dear old Michael."

Mia laughed, grateful for Lilly's discretion.

Once we were alone we slowly s tarted walking to the restaurant in Little Italy. "It was a lovely ceremony," Mia said leaning into me. She wasn't hinting to me. "And you look so handsome in that suit. I cannot remember you looking so handsome. No wonder those girls got crushes on you."

I smiled and blushed, "Well, look at you. That dress is like no other. All those girls were jealous that you looked so nice. What kind of fabric is that?" I asked.

"Silk. Grandmama gave it to me for my birthday. She says red makes me look older, do I?" she asked, making a silly face.

"No, not quite," I said nervously.

She made a face at me, "Well, what do _you_ know anyways."

"How do you walk in those shoes?" I said looking at the things on her feet that looked like torture traps.

"With _grace_ and _dignity_. Michael, Grandmama has been training me for years to dress and walk properly. I took my princess lessons."

"Let's sit down for a little bit," I said sitting on a bench.

She looked at me skeptically. "We'll be late."

"So? I think Kev and Miranda have other things on their minds."

She nodded and sat down, "What is it? You look like someone just swallowed a stocking."

I smiled, "No. I just like sitting alone with you sometimes. Just sitting with you and holding you…maybe kissing you a little…Don't you like that?" I totally was chickening out. I was NOT going to do this right now.

She nodded, "Sometimes. It's getting chilly isn't it?"

"Yes…."

"Gloves?" she ask with wide eyes. "Grandmama always says I am too young for them-"

I handed her the pair I had been given for my bat mitzphah (SP?)a few years ago. I nearly pulled out her ring right then, but it fell back into my pocket.

"Thank you sweetheart. They are a teeny bit big," she said with an easy laugh. She had no idea what was going on in my mind right now.

She crossed her legs and looked up to the sky, "It's a gorgeous day, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I mumbled.

"You sounded so convincing," she said laughing. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine. It's just weird 'cuz one of my best friends is married now."

She took my hand, "Everyone does eventually Michael. It's part of growing up."

Everyone in _her_ world did. Where the princess had to marry the prince. "I love you Mia," I said pulling her close to me for an embrace.

"I love you too Michael. Isn't amazing how one can fall so easily?" she said with wide eyes. "I mean, I didn't expect to fall in love…and look at me now. Happy and with the man of my dreams!"

"How am _I_ the man of your dreams?" I asked curiously.

"Because you don't treat me like a piece of glass. You treat me like a real person. You care about my feelings, but make me realize that not everyone in the world will. The world doesn't revolve around me, you know? And you never mention the fact that I am a princess. It would have been the focal point of any other relationship I would have had with another boy. But not you. You don't care about those sorts of things.

"And you don't tease me when I tell you about my dreams. That I want to be a writer. That I want to escape my family like my brother did."

"Those aren't silly dreams," I assured her. "And we'll make them come true."


	17. Snowtime Proposals

MIA:

He said we would make them come true. _We_. As in he and I would make them come true. This frightened me a little, I won't lie. When he said _we_ it signified that he wanted to marry me. That he wanted to be with _me_ and _only_ me.

"I-I think we should go to the reception now," I stammered. He had no idea how much of an effect one little word had on me.

He smiled his million dollar smile and took my hand. "I love you baby."

But will that be enough?

We arrived at the reception fashionably late. Lilly asked if we had been necking and demanded to see both of our necks for hickeys. "Lillian, we were not making out," I hissed. "We have more of a relationship than that."

She smiled skeptically. "Anything happen that I should know about?" she asked, practically jumping up and down.

I shook my head, "No. Why? Was something supposed to happen?"

She glanced at Michael, "Oh, no. Nothing."

Michael was off talking to some friends and left me alone with Lilly. "Mia, do you suppose you will marry him? I mean, I know it is still early but…"

"I don't know," I replied honestly, surprising her. "I _want_ to...but I still don't know if it would be right to. OR if my parents would allow it. They expect me to marry within the Genovian aristocracy."

She shook her head, "That's _silly_. My parents say that one cannot help who they fall in love with. It just happens. No one chooses, it's fate. They don't care if we marry outside of Judaism."

"Lilly, I'm just nervous…What if he meets some busty nurse who saves him from a deadly fever when he's over there?"

She nearly spat out her drink, "Mia, that's foolish.First of all, don't be so obbessive with your lack of breasts. He clearly doesn't care about it," she teased. "Secondly, he doesn't look at anyone else. He's _totally_ gone on you. Everyone is jealous about it. He's the ideal boy Mia. He only has eyes for you."

"But if I'm not there-"

"Mia, there was no one _before_ you, and no one will come _after_ you. If he were to propose, and I'm not saying that he is right now, but if he were to then he would treat you like a queen. And you best say yes to him. Then we would be _real_ sisters! Oh just imagine it Mia! I could be your maid of honor…that is if you don't have a best friend over in Genovia?"

I shook my head. We weren't allowed to. The closest thing to a best friend was Lars, and I highly doubted he would look nice in a dress. "No, I do not. Things are very different other there for me Lilly. Very."

I was still filled with doubt even after this conversation. I loved him more than anything. I was still scared though. I could very well lose him in the war. Or my grandparents could bar this marriage based on his religion.

I watched him chat animatedly with Kevin during the dancing. I was with Lilly at our table. "Did you know that Jill Weinberger has a crush on him?"

"What?" I snapped, shocked.

"Yeah. She was going to try something a few weeks back, but saw him holding your hand. Isn't she just a floozy?"

I nodded and looked back to watch Michael, but he was no where to be seen.

"Care for a dance?" Michael asked, popping behind I turned and smiled. I took his hand and let him guide me to the floor. His parents looked over at us and smiled. They accepted that they could no longer keep us from being with one another.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, my head on his shoulder.

I sighed, "Of course I am. Doesn't Randa look like a perfect bride? It's just too bad they won't have a honeymoon…"

He laughed, "They don't have engagement rings in Genovia, but they have honeymoons?"

I put on my vixenish smile, "Of course they do. How else would one make the marriage official?"

He laughed and kissed my cheek, "You never cease to amaze me Mia Thermopolis."

The more he said Thermopolis the more I liked it. Better than Renaldo. Better than Princess. How had this man managed to change my outlook on myself in a mere three and a half months?

But looking at him that night with his family made me realize how much I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be part of his family. To be part of this life forever, not just for a little while.

How would I return to Genovia? I couldn't. I would stay here, in Michael's beloved New York City forever. I would…

"Mia, you ready?" Michael asked, interrupting my daydream of our lives together.

I half smiled and took his hand, "Yes. Yes I am."

We said our good byes to the newlyweds and started walking home. His parents had left about an hour before because Dr. Moscovitz wanted to see his mother (who was still rather ill). "Don't worry about me," Lilly called out to us. "I'll walk with Josie Parker!"

Michael didn't pay attention to her sarcasm; he put his jacket around me because I was shivering. "You looked rather handsome tonight," I said as we reached a corner park. We laid down on the very cold ground. I rested my head on his chest.

He kissed the top of my head, "You didn't look half bad yourself baby," he whispered.

I started seeing snowflakes coming down on us, and I started giggling. "Snow!"

He laughed, "Yes, snow."

"I've never….We don't have snow in Genovia! I've never seen it before!" I said jumping up and spinning around.

He got up as well and laughed at my childish behavior. "Then I am proud to be the one you share your first time with…" then he turned red.

I stopped spinning and took his hands, "Don't be embarrassed sweetheart," I said catching my breath. "You will be my first everything. You have been my first kiss. My first love…but that will be it. You will be my _only_ love."

He smiled in a way that only curled up on one side, then swirled up on the other side a few seconds later. "May I have this dance?"

I curtsied and he bowed. "Is this how they do it in Genovia?" he asked. Swaying me to the pretend music.

I smiled, "I never got to have my coming out party. Technically you are not supposed to be dancing with me."

"Oh I am so sorry," he said, still not pulling back. Months ago I would have seen this act as rude, but now it was perfectly Michael.

He remained quiet for a long time. "What's wrong?" I asked, enjoying the snow falling.

"Marry me," he said quickly. "I mean, will you marry me?"

I pulled away, "What?"

"I want to marry you. I- I got you this," he said pulling a ring out of his pocket nervously. "If you don't want-"

"Will you let me answer?" I said with a nervous laugh.

He swallowed hard, "Okay."

"Of course I will marry you," I whispered, my forehead leaning against his. "But-"

"If the ring is too small I want you to know I intend on getting you a bigger one once we get jobs and-"

"But what about my parents?" I asked, not focusing on the ring.

"What about them?"

"You never asked-"

"I wrote your father. He approved. He said he understood what it meant to be young and in love. I mean, eventually things will have to change, but he's okay with us being together."

I smiled. He really was the perfect man, not a boy, a man. I extended my ring finger. "I _will _be your wife," I whispered.

He placed the small ring on my finger. It was just right for me. A gold band with a tiny emerald and even tinier diamonds on the sides. "If it's too small-"

"Michael, it's perfect. You will never take this ring off of me. It's mine to keep," I teased.

I have never seen a bigger smile on a human being before. "You'll…you'll marry me?" he said in a whisper, finally taking it all in. For such a smart boy he is often slow.

I nodded, "If your offer still stands…"

He answered me with a kiss. A perfect kiss in the snow.


	18. An Admission

Mia:

We returned home to the adults crouched over the radio. "Shall we tell them?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "No. Not tonight. Tomorrow is the third anniversary of…well, of when we got into the war. We can tell them at dinner tomorrow night."

I remembered when the United States had gotten involved with the war. Grandmama always said that they stuck their noses into a problem that wasn't their own, and she couldn't respect anyone who did that. But then they were attacked and I _swear_ I saw her cry.

We went to his room, unnoticed by his parents. "I _should_ be estatic right now," he mumbled, sitting on the edge of his bed, his face in his hands, "But I can't be."

I sat next to him and rubbed his back, "What do you remember of the attack?"

MICHAEL:

"It was a Monday afternoon when word came onto the radio that Pearl Harbor, where my cousin Jeremy was stationed, had been attacked by the Japanese air force early Sunday morning.... We didn't get the confirmed reports in New York...not until we heard the President on the radio..... There had been talk about a peace agreement between us and the Japanese.... but their representatives in Washington D.C. had left only days before, abruptly cutting off talks.

This should have warned us, but it didn't. The words that Mr. Roosevelt said the next day to Congress are....are engraved in my memory forever." I took out a newspaper clipping of the President's speech to COngress. Where we'd declared war.

_Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The __United States__ was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of __Japan__, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the __American_ _Island__ of __Oahu__, the Japanese Ambassador to the __United States__ and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack. It will be recorded that the distance of __Hawaii__ from __Japan__ makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the __United States__ by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the __Hawaiian Islands__ has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between __San Francisco__ and __Honolulu_

_Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against __Malaya_

_Last night Japanese forces attacked __Hong Kong_

_Last night Japanese forces attacked __Guam_

_Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine __Islands_

_Last night the Japanese attacked __Wake Island__. And this morning the Japanese attacked __Midway_ _Island_

_Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the __United States__ have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation. _

_As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces- with the unbounding determination of our people- we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God. _

_I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by __Japan__ on __Sunday, December 7, 1941__, a state of war has existed between the __United States__ and the Japanese Empire. _

"From there on nothing was the same," I said biting my lip. "My cousin was dead…stuck in the Arizona. They say that some of the guys were banging on the side of the ship that was sticking up out of the water. It took hours for the banging to stop…"

I turned to her and saw tears coming out of her eyes. "Don't cry Mia…"

"No…It's just, I've always thought of _myself_ being a victim of the war, never really considered that you've have to suffer as well. That everyone has. I never knew…"

"I had never told."

She laid back onto my bed."I'm a very selfish girl, you know."

"No you are not."

"Yes I am. I am here, very happy with a perfect boy. Meanwhile poor people in Germany and Poland and...well, where ever, are being persecuted. My own people are being persecuted. ANd I'm here in the lap of luxuary."

"I wouldn't say _luxuary_," I teased.

"We're engaged, Michael," she said suddenly.

I laid on my side next to her, "Yes?"

"I am lying here with a ring on my finger while some poor girl...someone I bet your parents would rather you marry, is suffering in some camp over in Germany."

"We don't know any of that for sure. Yes, there are rumors but...Mia, let's not dwell on this, okay?" I asked. I didn't want to think about my family in Europe. The guilt was almost too much. The letters from my cousin Samantha had abruptly ended that summer, and I can only imagine why.

"When will we marry?" she said. She was good at changing subjects.

"Once you graduate high school," I replied, pushing hair out of her face.

"I don't want to wait that long," she replied with wide eyes. "I will be going back to Genovia a few months after the war is over."

"Mia, can we figure this out later?" I asked, nuzzling her neck. "There are more fun things to think about."

"Oh?" she asked, half turning to me. " Such as?"

I tickled her belly and made my way on top of her. "Don't giggle, Mom and Dad will come in if they hear noise," I whispered.

She smirked then put her hands through my hair. "You know…I haven't much experience with boys…" she said, acting rather innocent. Only _I _knew she was not that innocent. Not that we'd done very much since that night before Thanksgiving but still....

I made a face, "Good. Neither do I."

She smiled her million dollar smile, "I should _hope_ not."

"Well?"

"What arewe to do as our first act as an engaged couple?" she asked innocently.

I wouldn't be surprised if my heart pumped right out of my chest. "Oh? Wh-What do you want to dothen?" I whispered, my forehead resting on hers. _Please body, don't do anything to scare her. Please._

"I don't know very much about….well, any of that stuff.I do know that you make me feel...I dunno,funny. A _good_ funny," she assured me I could tell this was very difficult for her to talk about, her cheeks were as red as an apple. "How do I make you feel?"

"Well, I can't tell you for sure," I said softly, "But I'm sure you couldn't tell me for sure about what makes you feel good, right?"

I rolled off of her so we could have this serious discussion.

"Well, no. But I do get a funny feeling here," she said taking my hand and placing it on her lower belly, "When we kiss. And when we pull apart it feels like…well, like part of me is being ripped out…I am being too for-"

"No, it's _good_ we can talk about this," I promised. My parents were always saying that a successful partnership is one with good communication. "I do know a little bit…from you know…the guys telling me about it. And from my one night with this girl I know....But I only know one other that has actually done anything."

She smirked, "Oh? Only one?"

I pushed her hair away from her face. "But see...it's not the act of love making that makes a boy feel...well...you know..."

She nodded, confused about the sway in conversation. "I don't follow."

"Sometimes there are thoughts...and stuff..."

She looked confused for a minute, then realized what I meant. "Oh…I see then."

"Well, it feels good _there_…uhm, when we uh…kiss and stuff."

"So that needs to be touched?" she guessed slowly.

"Well…" I was so not going to admit that I masturbate. She'd think I was a _total _freak. I mean, I think I'm a total freak right now. What guy says this stuff to a girl?

"'Cuz I think I'd feel better if that um…area was touched too…on me I mean."

I smiled at her honesty. I love that she was never too embarrassed to be honest with me."I _do_ like being touched there," I admitted.

"You've been touched there? Other than that time..." she asked, hurt. Of course she'd automatically assume someone else had touched me there. She hadn't when we had made love.

Great. I've backed myself into a corner. "Well….I uh…no one other than me," Ireplied, praying she'd understand.

"I -", she started.

I nodded. "I think it would be best for you to go to bed now," I mumbled. Okay, so maybe I didn't have the best of intentions that night, but who would in my circumstance? My girl- my fiancée was lying in my bed telling me about how curious she was about my private area?

"Why are you following me?" she asked as we walked into the hallway.

"I'm going to take a shower."

MIA:

That had to be one of the strangest conversations I have ever been part of.All I did was ask about his private area so I wouldn't feel like an ignorant naive little thing when I finally...you know, saw things.And all he can say is that he needs to take a shower? I suppose we should hold off on any moreexplorations until our wedding night.

AHHH! Our wedding night! Girls dream their whole lives of their wedding…of meeting that man they would wed. How little I knew that day back in August that I had met that man. The man I would spend my life loving.

"Hey, where were you?" Lilly asked, reading her magazine.

I smiled, "No where."

"With Michael I guess?"

I turned on the light, "You could say so," I said smiling ear to ear and showing her my ring.

"Oh good God!" she said excitedly. "He actually did it!" she said grabbing my left hand.

"I know. I was still surprised though."

"Have you told my parents?"

"Tomorrow," I replied.

"They already know about the two of you."

"Well, I figured that much."

"They told your parents."

"I already told my Mama. She thinks he's wonderful, from my description. See, here's the last letter she wrote me," I taking out the letter that smelt like my mother. I started reading out loud, reminding myself to censor it,

_Dearest Daughter- _

_I can hardly believe it has been nearly six months since I last saw your precious face. Your father keeps telling me to stay strong and that we will all be together soon. Do you suppose that is true? That all of us, Simon included, will be together? _

_Papa hardly speaks of him, but who can blame him? I will not mention him again, as not to upset you. _

_But I can imagine that it would be difficult to upset you these days. With a new beau and whatnot. It must be rather exciting, an older, handsome boy. You must find a picture to send of him. I cannot believe my little girl is in love. It seems that only yesterday you were toddling around and begging to ride Papa's horse, Gulliver. I do wish sometimes that we could go back to such innocent days, but I also am happy to see what a perfect young lady you have become. _

_But I also understand that when a young girl is in love there are certain feelings that come with it. Like the little feeling in the pit of your belly when he kisses you…eventually you will figure out how to fulfill that feeling and make it be even stronger. I hope, however, that you will wait. _

_Okay, I'll be honest with you dearest, that was just the 'royal' me talking before. As the regular old girl from __Indiana__ I want you to go with your feelings. Explore. It's only natural. And your father and I did the same. It would be rather hypocritical if I did not tell you to do the same. _

_But I will give this warning. You must remember that he is leaving soon. I do not want your heart to be crushed. Keep remembering that life after the war is going to be very different. That you will be returning to your duties as our daughter. That we will oversee a reconstruction of our home. And that we will be a family once again. _

_This will be my letter for Christmas for you as well darling. I can only send my best wishes this year. And for you to be happy with your Michael. _

_Love, Mama. _

Lilly smiled weakly, "Your _home_ was ruined?"

"Oh, uh, well, we assume that it was." Thank God I had remembered to not read aloud that I was the princess of my home country. "Everything will have to be re-built."

"I was reading about that princess and prince over there. Remember how I told you that they were in another country?"

I played with my ring nervously. "Yes?"

"Well, how unfair is that? I mean, _my_ people in Germany are hiding out like animals from the Nazis while those two are living it up. There was an article in LIFE about it....God...."

"Maybe they didn't have a choice?" I asked. "I mean, if you had to choose between hiding out in an attic or basement or something, or a nice apartment in America, what would you choose?"

She looked at me oddly. "Well, obviously-"

"And besides, they are kids! It's not like they can simply _defy _their elders."

"Mia, I know why you are so upset."

My breath caught in the back of my throat. "You do?"

"Yeah. I mean, you got to come here just because your dad was a politician. I'm not saying anything against_ you...._I am not a supporter of monarchies."

"Why not?"

"Because...well, what's the point of them?"

"They unify countries."

"They take tax money and buy more _jewels_ with it."

"Not true."

"Mia, you are blinded by how you were raised. The longer you are in America, the more you will appreciate democracy-"

"I am in full support of monarchy. Just because it doesn't work for one country does not mean that it doesn't work for another."

She made a face. "Sorry, didn't think you would be so defensive about it," she said looking at the article she was telling me about.

I glanced down at it and realized my picture was there. I was fair haired in the picture, but my smile. It was the smile I had arrived with. Polite, but cool and reserved. Has she noticed and was playing a game with me?

"What was it exactly that your father did over there?"

She had me.

"Stuff," I said, pulling the pins from my hair.

"Mia, tell me the truth. If we are going to be sisters then you have to tell the truth. Sisters tell."

I licked my lips nervously. "I think we both know the truth," I said softly. "There is no need for me to tell you-"

"Mia are you or are you _not_ the Princess of Genovia?"

I turned slowly, in a very princessy way. "Yes. I am a princess. Of um...Genovia." Saying out loud made me feel kind of foolish.

Her hand shot to cover her open, gaping mouth. "Why didn't you...does _Michael_ know?"

I sighed heavily, "Of course he does. Would I agree to marry the boy if he didn't?"

She let all the information sink into her brain. "So...how much are you worth...exactly. Money wise that is."

I blushed at the rudeness of her question. "About two million dollars."

"Holy...Gosh. Wow. This must seem like a _shack_ to you," she replied, looking embarrassed.

"A shack?" I asked.

"You know, like nothing. What is your home like?"

"You mean, where I used to live?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Quite large. Old. My ancestors built it as a fortress to fight the French armies. Eventually it became a Palace. I haven't even seen most of the rooms. Only the necessary ones. But my home is now in New York. I'm going to stay here, with Michael."

"Give _all that_ up for him?"

"I'm leaving that life behind for a better one here. Michael is what makes me happy. I want to spend my life being happy with him. And as a princess I could never do fun things. I need to be all prim and proper as a princess. I do envy your freedom...your naivtee. I've been forced to grow up too fast. That's probably why I'm not afraid of marrying Michael...a grown up thing. I'm ready right this minute."

"But when will you? Have you told your parents?"

I thought about it. "After we marry we'll tell them."

Her jaw dropped in shock, "What? Don't you want your parents-"

"It'll be easier if it is something small here in the city. Trust me. Michael wouldn't want to deal with Genovia. If we told them then we'd have to wait until way after the war and he'd have to have lessons with my grandmother."

"Lessons?"

"On how to be a proper prince consort."

"What the heck is that?"

"It's...well, I might be the sovereign of Genovia one day...you know, a long time from now...after both my grandfather and my father pass on."

"Might?"

"My brother," I said, pointing to his picture in her magazine. "He is the heir. I'm the spare one. But I must be trained just as he is. Just in case."

"Oh God...you never mentioned a brother...that was to throw me off, right?"

I shrugged, "Right."

"You won't lie to me anymore, right?"

"Right."

She looked at me skeptically. "Well, Hannukah starts tomorrow, just so you know."

"It…tomorrow?" I asked. "What do you do…on Hanukah?" Michael explained it a little bit, but never went into details.

She smiled, "We'll show you tomorrow night."

I went to sleep that night, rubbing the new piece of jewelry on my left ring finger. Knowing my life will never be what I had once imagined.


	19. Mass

Author's Note: I just am realizing now how long this story is going to be. I hope you all stick with me here. I would totally give a worthy AN, but it's 3:30 in the morning. Thanks everyone for the reviews. I appreciate them muchly.

Have a good holiday!

MIA:

When I was a little girl I bought into the stories Grandmama told me. That I would find a handsome prince at my coming out party and fall _madly_ in love with him. That we'd have a _proper _courtship that would involve chaperones (Grandmama being one of them), and would be married in the National Cathedral.

First of all, I found my boy on the pier in New York City, not a coming out party. He didn't even know what a coming out party was. He'd ask what I was coming out to. He thought the society I lived in was kind of silly, and I was starting to agree.

Secondly, we wouldn't get married there. We'll be married in New York City. We'd live in New York City. Raise our family here.

The next day was the first night of Hanukah. They sang songs in Hebrew (which I clearly did not understand, being an English/French/Spanish and Latin speaker myself), and near the end lit a candle.

"Mia, what is that on your hand?" Dr. Moscovitz asked as we all began to retire to our bedrooms.

I looked at Michael. "Dad, can we go back to the den?" he asked, already ushering his confused father back.

The two men went back into the room and left me standing in the hallway with a veryworried Mrs. Moscovitz. She glanced at my hand and smiled. "I'll be going to bed, Mia. I hope you don't stay up too much longer."

So I paced the hall. Forgetting that on my first seeing this apartment I thought it was rather ramshackle and only suitable for lower classes. Not for a princess. Now I thought of myself as a regular girl. Never wanted to go back to _that_ world.

An hour later the two men left the den and Dr. Moscovitz looked upset as he passed me. "Michael?" I asked softly.

He hugged me. "He doesn't like it at all, but knows he can't really do too much about it."

I smiled, "Then we're okay?"

He nodded and bit his lip nervously, "Yeah. I guess. For now. We just...we have to be careful. Not set him off at all, okay?"

* * *

We went to school the next day. We only had that day left for classes until we had finals. Then Michael was done. I'd still have two and a half years…well, if I stayed in the city. If I didn't return to my ever so lovely life in the palace that no longer exists.

"Mia, that ring is amazing," Tina gushed at lunch. Jill walked by.

"Oh please. It's so _nouveau riche_. Couldn't he have afforded something decent? I'm so glad I blew him off back in October."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure Jill. If you say so." If she only knew that I was worth over two million dollars. That my family owned Napoleon's old country estate. That my grandmother was friends with the Queen of England (sort of).

"When is the wedding going to be?" Laura asked, ignoring Jill's stares. She was wondering, I could tell, why a girl like me would choose to be with the so called 'freaks' of the school.

I hadn't thought of that..the wedding that is. "I'm not sure. Maybe when he gets back."

I looked over at Michael, sitting by himself writing furiously into his notebook. Writing a new song I guess. He had been writing a lot lately and often looked like he was somewhere else. Always humming a new tune. One I never recognized.

* * *

"What are you doing?" I asked as Michael passed by our trolley stop for home. 

"Walking home."

"Why?" I asked, following him, stepping in the footprints he made in the snow.

"Because. Who knows when I'll get to walk in the snow again."

I bit my lip. "You think you won't?"

"Never," he replied with a backwards smile to me, "I plan on moving us to California when I get back."

I laughed, "Oh really? I have _no_ say in this matter?"

"Nope. I'm not living where it's cold."

"What about Genovia?" I asked, "No snow there."

He grabbed my books. "Nah. I want," he started, looking at Lilly who was strolling behind us. "Wait. Lilly, can we be alone?"

"I think you should be alone with Mia now," she teased. "Fine. I'll see you at home Mia."

"Okay…" I started, looking at him.

"I want us to have our own lives. Not rely on our parents. _I_ want to support you."

How romantic is that? "But I am a princess," I said softly, "I _do_ have responsibilities."

He gave me a pained expression. "Mia, if we are going to get married you would be my _wife_. Not a _princess_. My wife would have to become your first priority. And I understand it'd take some time to-"  
I kind of enjoyed this surge of manliness in him. I mean, I guess I can see his point. But he'd have to learn to deal with the fact that I was in fact the current sole heir to the Genovian throne. With my brother being all AWOL on us.

I put my fingers to his lips to quiet him. "No. You are right. It will take time to get used to. But I will. I took this ring and I take every responsibility that comes with it."

He smiled. "I'm going to take care of you for the rest of your life."

* * *

MICHAEL: 

I'm spending the rest of my life with this girl. The girl who once never laughed and looked down on me and my family. The girl who now laughs, makes me laugh, and is practially part of my family already.

"Need help?" I asked, walking in on her brushing her hair in the bathroom.

She smiled, "Let's go sit on your bed so I can read to you while you brush."

She started reading out of Anne of Green Gables. "She has such a great imagination," Mia sighed. "You'll love it. Gilbert is a bit like you. And he sounds like he looks like you too. "

I carefully brushed her hair. "Your hair used to be blonde?"

"I dyed it," she replied. "Because my picture had come out in Europe. People knew I had fair hair coloring. So I had to dye it dark to hide my identity."

"Easy enough." It'd be weird if she let it go back to normal. To see her with blonde hair again.

My family only really celebrated Hanukah on the first night. After that my parents lit the menorah, but my attendance wasn't mandatory. Instead, me, Mia, and Lilly used the time to study for our final examinations. "What exams do you have tomorrow?" I asked.

"I have Spanish and geometry," Lilly replied.

"French and geometry," Mia replied, pouring over her math book. "But I'm only concerned about geometry."

"Want help?"

"Don't you need to study?" she asked worriedly, but allowing me to take her book.

"Not really. It comes naturally."

Lilly rolled her eyes.

Mia and I went back to my room afterwards and kissed a little. And read chapter two of her book. Then we kissed a little more. "I'm going to bed," she announced at eleven o'clock. There goes her necessary nine hours of sleep.

"Stay here," I suggested.

She looked at me like I had three heads. "Are you nuts?"

"What? My parents don't check on us. They are leaving tomorrow early. Some guys are coming back from Europe and the government asked for all mental health workers to go meet with them. They have to be uptown earlier than normal. Come on," I practically begged.

She bit her lip. "Lemme go get my pajamas."

That was how we slept for the remainder of the week. It helped us settle down about finals. Or at least that's how we justified it.

I was in my room on Christmas Eve when she knocked on the door. She was going to stay in Lilly's room again because my parents were going to be home the next day. Everything would be closed because of the holiday. "Whats up baby?" I asked, noticing her worried look.

"Would you come to midnight mass with me?" she asked nervously.

"Where?" I asked.

" Midnight mass. For Christmas. I looked it up. St. Patrick's is having a mass.Or I could go by myself-"

"No. I'll go with you. What do I wear?"

She went over to my closet and took out a pair of dress pants and my suit jacket. "This. And a blue tie. It'll make your eyes look _fierce_."

I laughed. "Um, okay," I replied, looking at my clock. "You-"

"I am going to get changed. I'll be right back."

That explains why I was standing in the back of St. Patrick's cathedral at midnight. Thinking about the new song I was going to give to Mia for Christmas. I hoped she would like it. She looked beautiful, watching the mass take place. Saying her prayers.

After seeing her looking so devout and heaven worthy I began to wonder (after mass that is)

"Mia, are you going to go to hell for marrying me?"


	20. A Special Gift

She burst out laughing, the cold air escaping her lips, "No. Why would I go to hell?"

"I mean, I know religion is important to you. And marrying someone who isn't Catholic would-"

"Please Michael. I'm not _that _religious. I think God would be happy that I found a true and pure love in you. Not in a Jewish man. But in _you._ And God would be happy that you found it in me, right?"

I nodded. Well, we'd already be going to hell for sleeping with one another anyways. But we intend on getting married anyways. I was reminded of this fact by a flier in a window about a justice of the peace offering to marry couples before the man shipped out for a minimal fee. I started to ask when she wanted to when I realized she was crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stopping our walk back to my apartment.

"It's Christmas," she replied. "I would be home with Simon. Our nurses would be getting us ready for bed. An hour from now we'd be playing in our joint room. Staying up late as a treat. Looking at our magnificent tree. Now my life is just so…different. _Good_, but different than I would have imagined. "

I took her into my arms and let her cry. "It's okay baby, let's go home."

I put her to bed after she settled down. Then I set out for the streets. I needed to find a tree for her and to decorate it as nicely as I could.

MIA:

"What?" I mumbled.

"It's Christmas," Michael replied, pulling me out of bed. I barely had time to put on my slippers.

"Michael, so what?" I replied. My celebration was over. The Moscovitz's weren't planning on doing anything special. They were going to Dr. Moscovitz's mother's house for the day. "It's seven in the morning."

"I know," he said in an excited voice. "I have a surprise for you."

I stepped into his room. He'd decorated it for Christmas just for me. "Where'd…how…"

"Not easily," he said with a laugh. He placed a piece of tinsel on my head. "A lot of it is from Felix's mom. But I bought the tree myself. They were going to toss it but I offered to take it off their hands. You like it?"

He looked exhausted. I laughed, "Of course I do. I'd be a fool not to! Thank you!" I cried, wrapping my arms around him. "It's perfect."

We spent the early part of the morning in his room, I taught him some Christmas songs from Genovia. He played me some American ones on his guitar.

But then we went to his grandmother's house. In Connecticut. She hated me.

* * *

"This is the Genovian? Phillippe's girl?" she asked.

Dr. Moscovitz nodded proudly, "Isn't she lovely, mother?"  
"Looks like her mother. Not an ounce of Renaldo in her. She isn't the one to-"

Dr. Moscovitz stopped her before she let Lilly in on the deep dark secret. He knew Michael knew I was a princess. But no one knew that Lilly knew the truth. "She's going to marry Michael," he replied. "They are engaged."

She looked at Michael skeptically. "You are marrying a _Renaldo_?"

Lilly made a weird face. "I think Grandma needs her medicine," Mrs. Moscovitz told her. "Go get it in the kitchen. Now."

After Lilly left. "You are going to go be prince?" she asked Michael.

He looked at me.

"He would be the prince consort," I replied.

She looked at me like I had three heads.

"But pretty much a prince," I mumbled.

"What do you want with him?" she demanded.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Are you going to make him become a gentile? Like they tried to make us over there-"

"Mother, stop," Dr. Moscovitz replied. "She has never pressured Michael into anything. He's done everything on his own. _Everything_," he emphasized.

I cried in Michael's room that night. "She loathed me. Because my grandfather made Catholicism the national religion in Genovia. You don't _have to_ be Catholic. You jut get more free things….ugh, I wasn't even _born_ when he passed that resolution!"

He sat next to our tree. "No one said it was your fault."

"No. You are supposed to say that she loved me. That she didn't totally hate me."

"Mia, she can't have a fair handle on you. She barely knows you. _I_ do though," he replied, pulling me towards him.

I sighed. "I don't want to make-"

"Open it," he said handing me a box.

"What is this?" I asked, surprised.

"When you open it you will find out."

So I opened it and found a silver snowflake charm on a necklace. "Michael…"

"To remember my proposal by," he said with a child like smile I couldn't resist. So I kissed him.

"Like I could ever forget," I said with a giggle.

"Hey," he said suddenly. "I have an idea. Wanna go get married?"

"I already said yes," I said with a laugh. I started fumbling with the clasp.

"No, right now. We can. I have a little bit of money left over we can-"

"Where?" I asked.

"Come on, I'll take you."

"Wait. We need rings," I said. "I have one for you in my room. Wait here."

I rushed back to my room and grabbed a gold ring I had been given in Genovia. It had been Simons. On our sixteenth birthdays our grandparents gave us rings with our names engraved on the insides. We exchanged the rings the night he ran away. I hoped he wouldn't mind me loaning my betrothed his.

"Let's go," Michael said pulling me to the front door.


	21. Mr and Mrs Moscovitz

I was wearing the dress I wore to his grandmother's. A lavender polka dot dress that Lilly loaned me. He wore his dress pants and a dress jacket.

We got to this office and found a man that had advertised that he would marry couples for a low price if the man was going overseas for the war. "How much?" Michael asked, taking out his wallet.

"Forty bucks," the guy replied.

Michael's jaw dropped. He hadn't expected that. He turned to me, "My grandmother gave me some money for Hanukah. But not that much. I'm sorry-"

I sushed him and handed my earrings over to the man. "Those are real diamonds. Crafted in Genovia by the jeweler Nathan Loie. They are worth _well_ over five hundred dollars."

"I ain't got no change."

"Don't care. I just want to be married."

"Mia, you-"

"Michael, be quiet," I hissed. "Let me do this."

"I...Mia, you can't give those away, can you?" he whispered. "I mean, don't they belong to the royal family?"

I gave him a look. "If by royal family you mean _me_, yes. My grandfather gave them to me when I turned thirteen. My grandmother didn't know they existed."

He opened his mouth to offer another argument. "Unless you don't _want_ to be married," I said in a worried tone.

"No, no. I do. I do. I swear I do-"

"They seem real to me Carl," the guy's assistant said after a through search.

"Then we can continue?" I asked.

"Outside," the guy replied. "The lights are flickering here. My assistant here, Chuck, will act as your witness. Sign these here papers. Then we can go outside and do this."

Michael and I did so. I was sixteen and therefore age of consent. Thank heavens.

* * *

So we got married that night, December 25, 1944 in the lightly falling snow. With a guy named Chuck Lewis as our witness. "Where'd you get my ring?" he asked, staring at it as we walked home.

"It was from home. I snuck it out," I said with some wistfulness in my voice.

"My grandmother gave me your ring when you went to get her some tea. It was her wedding ring. She told me that I was too young to get married and needed all the help I could get."

I smiled, "So she _kind_ of liked me?"

"Figured it would be better for me to marry the princess of a country than someone off the street."

"So glad I am good enough," I said with a roll of my eyes. "What now?" I asked, stopping in front of his apartment.

"Now I don't let you out of my room until I leave for boot camp," he said lifting me off the ground and going into the building.

* * *

His parents were not happy with us. At all. "What about _her_ parents?" his father boomed. As if I wasn't sitting right there. "Her father is going to kill me…he trusted me to take care of his daughter."

"They knew my intentions!" Michael boomed back. Wow. A booming family.

"What, that you'd marry her? Honestly Michael! They probably saw this as a harmless fling!"

"It's _not_ a fling," I spoke up, grabbing Michael's hand. "I love him with every fiber of my being and he loves me. We have a plan."

Dr. Moscovitz laughed. "What's that then?"

"After he returns we're moving to California," I said defiantly.

He chuckled. "Where will you live until then?" he demanded.

"Hank, don't do anything rash," Mrs. Moscovitz said soothingly. "She'll live here, with us. Like we planned. You promised Phillippe. And I know you are a man of your honor. Besides, she's our daughter too now…""

He threw his arms up and stormed out. Michael stormed into his room. We Mrs. Moscovitz's sat in the den. I started crying and she held onto me and said soothing things. "You'll be fine," she said softly. "He'll be back. I'll help you out darling. Don't worry about a thing."

Lilly was happy to have me as a sister. But sad that I was moving into Michael's room. _Sorry. I definitely want to be with my new husband._ Must upset _one_ Moscovitz child to keep the other happy.

Michael and I liked to stay in his room alone so we didn't run into his father. His mother brought us dinner. That is, until New Year's. That night we went out with Kevin and Miranda.

* * *

"I can't believe you two went off and eloped!" Randa said excitedly. "It's so romantic. I wish we had instead of all that attention being thrown on us."

I shrugged. I didn't care how I married Michael. As long as we were married. "I suppose."

"Lemme see your ring again," she said grabbing my hand. "It's so antique."

"It was his grandmother's. She married his grandfather in Genovia back in the eighteen hundreds. Maybe the eighteen eighties or so."

"Genovia sounds so romantic. Maybe we'll honeymoon there after all this is over. What's it like?"

I would not be able to tell her very much. All I knew was the palace. And I had a feeling not everyone had marble tile in their closets. Michael looked at me expectantly. He knew I had no ideawhat it was like outside the palace walls. Maybe he expected me to tell her the truth?"Be surprised."

And then Michael pulled me next to him, and into a corner. We were in his friend Danny's apartment, and nearly everyone there was necking. "It's almost midnight," he replied.

"So?"

"We have to kiss in the new year," he explained.

"Oh…"

"Lemme guess, you didn't do this in Genovia?"

"Nope. We went to mass."

"Not religious?" he teased, pulling me closer. "Well, let's practice a little bit, shall we?"

We kissed, and didn't stop kissing until we realized it was past midnight and Kevin was tapping Michael on the shoulder to tell him they were leaving. That Randa was feeling sick.

"Happy New Year, _Mrs_. Moscovitz," Randa said hugging me. "When our boys leave we should get together."

I nodded, "Sure. That'd be fun."

Not that hanging out with Lilly and Tina and all them wasn't fun, it's just, they wouldn't get everything. Get that my one true love was on the verge of being shot at any moment. Randa would.


	22. Just Close Your Eyes

Author's Note: Very sad at the lacking in reviews. But Ifinishedwriting this the other dayandit's not nearly over yet. The song at the end is by Westlife (corny, I know)

* * *

But a week later came too soon. It was his birthday. His eighteenth birthday. "You aren't leaving until when?" I asked, snuggling up to him in bed. 

"Four days," he said softly, kissing my forehead. "But you have no idea how much I am regretting this baby."

I looked up at him, "I know sweetheart. But I understand. You are doing it for the betterment of man." That's how Simon explained it to me.

"If I could, I'd run off with you," he explained, "But that'd be cowardly and selfish."  
"And you aren't either one," I replied, kissing his chest. I knew I was being vixenesque, but I wanted to be. I wanted to make love again.I think I finallygot the hang of that now.

"What are you doing?" he said laughing.

"Seducing you," I replied.

"My fam- Our family is out there in the kitchen," he argued weakly.

"We can be quiet," I replied. That ended every argument he had.

But didn't make me not be red when we joined the family at the table for breakfast.

His father glared at me. "Happy birthday, son."

"Thanks Dad. Lilly, pass the juice?"

Their conversations were always short now. I felt terrible. It was my fault.

* * *

MICHAEL:

We walked around the city on my birthday. I showed her the Statue of Liberty and Radio City Music Hall. "I wanted to take you to a show there for Christmas but it was sold out," I explained.

"Michael, stop that. You are setting far too high of expectations of yourself. I just want you and don't care _where_ you bring me."

So we rented ice skates and I taught her how to skate. "I can't believe you've never done this before!"

"We lack the ice necessary for it back home," she grumbled. "You find falling on your bottom fun?"

"If it means I get a better view of yours then yes I do."

She blushed, "You'll be seeing a _bruised_ bum because I am falling far too much."

I fell even more in love with her that week because she read out loud to me some poetry she had been writing. She had copied it and put it into a journal book for me to carry around with me for my birthday. Very original, and she did not have to give away any royal jewels in order to pay for it. _Score. _

I was leaving the next Sunday though. A fact we both tried to forget. And avoided bringing up. But Saturday night we had to face facts. She packed my bag for me. "Now, where am I writing to?" she asked for the billionth time.

"I'll be at Paris Island. In North Carolina. Training," I explained carefully. "Sit down. I have something for you."

"Michael, you always do," she said with a sigh. "But I never have anything for you."

"Yes you do," I said gently kissing her, "But that's later."

She blushed, "What is it?"

"Sit," I instructed, holding my guitar. "I've been working on this for while now.

_Tomorrow morning I have to leave_

_But wherever I may be _

_Best believe I'm thinking of you _

_I can't believe how much I love you _

_All we have is here tonight _

_We don't want to waste this time _

_Give me something to remember _

_Baby put your lips on mine _

_And I'll love you forever _

_Any time that we find ourselves apart, _

_You just close your eyes _

_And you'll be here with me _

_Just look to your heart, and that's where I'll be _

_If you just close your eyes _

_Till you're drifting away _

_You'll never be too far from me _

_If you close your eyes, close your eyes _

_I know I'm gonna see you again _

_But promise me that you won't forget _

_'Cause as long as you remember _

_A part of us will be together _

_So even when you're fast asleep _

_Look for me inside your dreams _

_Keep believing in what we're sharing _

_And even when I'm not there to tell you _

_I'll, I'll love, love you, forever _

_Any time that I can't be where you are _

_You just close your eyes _

_And you'll be here with me _

_Just look to your heart, and that's where I'll be _

_If you just close your eyes _

_Till you're drifting away _

_You'll never be too far from me _

_If you close your eyes _

_Is there anywhere that far? _

_Any time you're feeling low _

_Is there anywhere my love cannot reach? Oh no _

_I could be anywhere on Earth _

_It could be anywhere I'll be _

_Oh baby if you want to see, you just close your eyes….. _

_Just close your eyes and you'll be here with me _

_Look to your heart, and that's where I'll be, Close your eyes _

_Just close your eyes till you're drifting away _

_You'll never be too far from me, _

_if you just close your eyes _

_And you'll be here with me _

_You'll be here with me _

_Just look to your heart _

_Look to your heart _

_And that's where I'll be _

_And that's where I'll be _

_If You just close your eyes _

_Close your eyes _

_Till you're drifting away _

_You'll never be too far from me _

_If you close your eyes, oh yeah, just close your eyes _

She was crying softly while I sang the song, and I stopped a few times to wipe away her tears. "I wrote it out for you," I started. "So you can think of it when you're alone."

She shook her head, "I won't ever be alone," she said before she very passionately kissed me. Damn. I should go away more often.

No. Once I come back I won't leave her again. I'd stick by her side and take care of her.


	23. Surprise

I was exhausted the next morning as she walked me to the bus station. My parents had said goodbye the night before. Both were angry that I was leaving, but again, couldn't do too much in the way of stopping me. Lilly woke up early and said goodbye to me. But wouldn't come to the station because she didn't want to cry in public.

We stared at the bus that could change our fate forever. That _could_ take me away and make me never return. "I'll write," I promised, my arms wrapped around her. There were dozens of other couples there, but it seemed like we were all alone.

"And I'll write back. Everyday," she promised. "And," she said, wiping away a tear, "I'll have your mom teach me about the kitchen. So I can _actually_ feed you when you come home."

I smiled, "Nah. We'll be filthy rich. We can just hire a maid."

She laughed, "It'll be good for me to bond with her. She actually likes me."

I kissed her. Better time spent. I knew I would miss the kisses more than the conversation on the coldest nights in the Pacific. I didn't care if people were staring at us. I just didn't care if it wasn't proper.

"Last call!" The driver yelled out.

I bit my lip. I had missed the other calls. I noticed Kevin and Randa over on the other side of the bus, rushing to catch it. "I love you," I said softly into her ear.

She sniffled, "Just close your eyes. I'll be there," she said, tossing my own words back at me. I could tell she was forcing her smile.

I kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll be back. I promise. And I'll buy you a house and-"

"Don't worry about me. Just take care of yourself, okay? And write."

I nodded, "Love you more everyday," I said backing toward the bus.

She shook her head, "More."

MIA:

I had missed him already as I saw his bus pull away. He was staring out the window at me, biting his upper lip. Trying not to cry. I don't know if it was because he was worried about leaving me, or because of boot camp.

"Hey there," Randa greeted after the bus had fully left.

"Hi," I said hoarsely.

"Walk?"

I nodded. I needed someone who understood what I was going through. "You guys were late," I said, breaking our silence.

She blushed, "I had given him some good news before he left and we celebrated a little bit."

I looked at her oddly. "Oh?"

"I'm having a baby," she said excitedly. "He or she'll be born in July."

I smiled and congratulated her. "But…when will Kev be back?"

We continued our walk a little longer before she answered. "Well, the war in Europe is kind of winding down. Hitler's troops aren't really all that strong there. We've taken back most of the cities he's taken over."

I hadn't been following it. Too enamored with Michael.

"But they'll be in the Pacific. The Japanese haven't shown any signs of retreating. That could go on much longer than Europe."

I bit my lower lip. "Well, I'm sure they'll be back. I mean, Kevin has his baby and his wife to come to."

"And what about Michael?" she asked. "He has his wife. And _who_ knows, you could be pregnant. Right? You two have…"

I nodded, "Yes, we have…." I started before laughing, "But I highly don't think I am though…."

"Well, he has a wife then to return home to. Are you staying with the Moscovitz's until he gets back?"

I nodded, "Yes. And continuing school as well. It'll be weird. My last name is now Moscovitz…wonder what my teachers will say."

"Well, my name is now Fitzsimmons. It _was_ deAngelo. That's a big change."

I laughed, "Yeah…I better get home before they worry. I'll see you soon though?"

"Yes. Hey, will you come with me to the doctors tomorrow? I'm terrified."

I nodded. We weren't close friends, but I could tell we would be.

I arrived at the Fitzsimmon's apartment at noon the following day. Randa hadn't told her mother in law her news, nor had she told her own mother. She was worried about what they would think. That the young couple were rushing things and everything

"Will your husband be joining us?" the doctor asked, reading her chart.

She smiled sweetly, "He was shipped out yesterday. He knows that I think I am…"

The doctor nodded. "And this is…"

"My friend Mia. Our husbands are best friends and were just shipped out together. She's going to help me out."

_Um, I guess?_

He looked at me skeptically. "Were you and your husband expecting this bundle of joy, Mrs. Fitzsimmons?"

She nodded, "We were hoping. And luckily…"

"When was your last menstrual cycle?"

Oh God. He started asking her more and more questions. About how her morning sickness was and whether or not she had been eating properly. I sat like a lump on the chair in the corner of the room. I suddenly had a sick feeling in my stomach.

Am. Pregnant.

The doctor told her that the signs don't normally appear for five weeks after conception. Michael and I did it for the first time almost two months ago. I had started getting sick and throwing up nearly every day for the past three weeks. Michael had helped me clean myself up and hid it from everyone. We had assumed it was a bug that was going around. We joked that I should give it to him so that he wouldn't pass the physical and would have to come home to me.

But I couldn't give him _this_. I couldn't easily pass a baby to him through kissing. I had started eating things that I had always turned away at dinner. But I had thought it was just be adjusting to normal American fare.

Food did taste different, metallic. My breasts had felt weird, they hurt whenever Michael had touched them lately. And I went to the bathroom about five times in one hour. God. We had joked around about my bathroom habits but look at the truth.

We hadn't even discussed a baby. And how was I to do this without him?


	24. Filler

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys.

* * *

I walked home with the pain in my chest. Not knowing was terrible, but thinking about it more made me lighten up. I'd be alone…but still have Randa for support. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," I said softly. I didn't want to jinx this. I mean, I guess I want it…I mean, the baby, not _it._

"You sure?"

"Yeah, just..you know...missing Michael."

MICHAEL:

We had strict rules in the barracks. Everything had to be uniform and neat. No problem there. I was always like that. I was going to train to work in the engine rooms of the ships. I had promised my mother and Mia that I'd stay out of the line of fire.

So it wasn't too bad. The worst part was that we weren't allowed to communicate with our loved ones until boot camp was over. That wasn't until nearly Valentine's Day. Then we were being sent right out to the Pacific.  
If this was regular times, we would have a few weeks off after boot camp. But things were really heating up and they needed to get the ships out to the Pacific.

And they cut my hair. The hair I have been grooming for over a year. That Mia taught me to brush every night before bed. She always brushed it for me and then I brushed hers for her. Not that I'm that into my hair…I just like it the way it was. I thought of this after they buzzed my hair off.

"Awww, we got a pretty girl here?" a guy teased.

I glared at him.

"Pansy?" he asked.

Kevin came by. "What's going on?" he asked, staring at the guy who had me cornered at this point.

"Aw, your boyfriend coming to get you?"

Kevin pulled him back forcibly. "Forget about him. Nice cut."

"Mia is going to cry when she sees it."

They were sending photographs to our families. I can only imagine her reaction. Lilly would laugh. My mother would cry at seeing me in a uniform. I doubt my father will care much.

"Nah, she'll think it's sexy," Kevin teased. "Plus, it is she can't pull it anymore."

I laughed. "That only happened once and she apologized."

Thoughts of her warmed me up on the cold early mornings we trained. I wondered what she was doing. How her second semester of geometry was doing. If she was being nice to Jill. If Jill was being nice to her.

If she had written to tell her parents yet. You know…about us. What they thought. If they hated me.

"Hey, I told you that Randa and I are having a baby, right?" Kevin said one night after supper.

I looked at him, "No…you kind of failed to let me know about it. Really? When'd you find out?"

"Yeah. We figured it out right before I left. You know how girls figure those thing out, right?"

I nodded, my mother had felt it was only fair to explain the so called birds and the bees to both Lilly and I. I had to learn about women just as well as men.

"So anyways… She'll have the baby by the time I get home. Kind of weird ya know? Like a time warp or something. I leave and she's this skinny teenager. By the time I get back she'll be the mother of who knows how old of a child. It's going to be weird going back after we go over, ya know?"

Things are going to be different. How would _Mia_ change?

MIA:

"Mia, you okay in there?" Lilly asked, knocking on the bathroom door.

I wiped some vomit from the corner of my mouth with some toilet paper. It had been three weeks since I went with Randa to the doctors. Three weeks since he left.

I unlocked the door and let her come in. "Hey."

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, flushing the toilet. I sat on the edge of the bath tub. "Got the flu or something?"

Should I lie to her? "Um, no," I said softly. It wouldn't be fair to lie. "I don't know…"

She studied me intently then shut the door. "Are you pregnant?"

That was not a proper question at all. It was incredibly rude. "I-I don't know," I said softly. "I think so."

"I should hope so if you've been tossing your cookies in here for weeks. My mom told me about this stuff when I turned thirteen. How long?"

"Huh? I don't know how long the baby is, it's in-"

"No, how far _along_ are you?" she asked, sounding exasperated.

"Oh…well, I'm not sure. Almost three months I _think_."

She gave me a look, "Three months huh?"

I gave her a look like I didn't want to hear a lecture.

"Have you seen a doctor?" she asked.

"No."  
"Have you told Michael in a letter or anything?"

"Not yet. He still can't communicate. It'll mess up boot camp. Just a few more weeks."

"He'll be really happy," Lilly said after a few minutes, rubbing my back. "But _I _would be very happy if you brushed your teeth."

I laughed and did just that.

* * *

"Is it true that you got married?" Jill asked before Geometry class one day. "Cuz that is really weird. You are only sixteen."

"Just because Josh has no intention of making a lifetime commitment to you doesn't mean-"

"At least _Josh_ is around for me. Didn't your little husband run off and join the army after a few weeks of being with you?"

"He had planned on it already. That was why we got married." I didn't bother correcting her on the branch Michael was in.

"He's probably going to sleep with some female prisoners of war over there. I hear there are those concentration camps and everything. Maybe he'll find someone-"  
I slapped her. "How _dare_ you talk like that? You have no idea what it is like over there. And to speak so harshly of those poor people. That they'd be the _whores_ of the American soldiers. How dare you! Not every man is like your Josh. Not every man follows the orders from his brain downstairs!"

Grandmama had referred to the male penis as the 'brain downstairs'. That men tend to follow the rule of the penis more so than the brain in their head.

I had not realized how loud I had been, but everyone in the room was staring at us. "And…And you're just jealous because your little _boyfriend_ can't go and fight. Everyone knows it too. He could have joined up last year when he turned eighteen. But he was rejected because of his stupid flat feet."

She stared me down. I'm not sure if she heard what I said or if she was concentrating on the fact that I had slapped her.

"I'm going to ruin you, Thermopolis. Just you wait."

"Try it," I replied with a smile. "I dare you. And the _name_ is Moscovitz." Okay, not yet, but after the war I fully intended on getting all that paper work done. In my and Michael's minds I was Mrs. Moscovitz.

I got a lot of praise for standing up to Jill today. It spread through the halls of school, and I saw her crying to Josh at his locker at the end of the day. He looked annoyed with her. My work is done there…


	25. Mother's Find Out

Author's Note: I was going to respond to the reviews I got for last chapter but they won't let me. So um..thanks and Go Red Sox. Oops, I'm sorry, wrong season. Go Patriots. (okay, I won't lie, that was a dig to a particular reader. I will have to discussA-Rod later with you.I think you know who **you** are hehe)

_Dear Mama, _

_So…I did it. Papa must be so upset. I am sure that the Moscovitz's have already sent you a telegram, right?_

_I am a married woman Mama. Married. As in we have a new prince. Is that right? I'm terribly sorrybut I never did pay muchBut I don't know if I want that anymore…not not be married, but I mean, being a real princess. Having it as my job, do you understand what I mean? I mean, you had to choose to be one in order to be with Papa. But I have Simon, right? So I'll be free to live here, right? _

_I will miss you and Papa, Grandpapa and Grandmama very much. But I fear I will miss my brother more. I mean, I already do miss him as it is.He is the only one that really knows everything about me. He knows all my deepest secrets and all my dreams. _

_But now I know that Michael is the one that will know all that about me. That's how you said it would be. And how I want it to be. I never believedyou when you once told me that I would meet a man that would replace my dear brother in my heart. I mean, clearly I care for Michael in a very different way (we have come a long way since PrincessRosaland, haven't we Mama?).BUt it is very strange to have someone like this. I wonder what Simon will think of me!But,I am grown up now Mama. I am practically living out on my own in a really strange city. _

_I do want to have a bigger ceremony with my family and his family present after the war and when we settle down. He and I will decide what to do then. Isn't that wonderful, Mama?You always told me that American men weren't likePapa; theyalways were the ones to make decisions in the house. Michael asks for my opinion all the time. I think he learned that it is better to askrather than to have me give a long winded speech about what I think. He truly is a perfect man and I can not wait foryou to meet him!_

_I miss him terribly already Mama. Thenavy just sent us his official photograph. His hair is so short now! It wasn't very long before, but nowhis scalp is almost showing! He must be very traumatized; I know I would be if I had to cut my hair. But he looks so handsome in his uniform! So must older and moremature even!_

_There has been so much going on that I need to tell him about…to tell you about. I want to wait a bit longer before I say anything though.I wish you were here, it would make everything so much easier. It's difficult to talk to Mrs. Moscovitz about things since Michael is her son and all. She does not think I have more of a right to be upset about his absence than she does. I understand her missing her son that she has known for eighteen years. But she seems to believe that I am stealing him away from her, which I'm not, am I?_

_And of coursethey are very upset with the two of us. But I think they can kind of understand. They are starting to treat me more like family now. Not that they hadn't been before, but now I am literally a member of their family. I am very happy to have such a caring family here. _

_I must go work on my homework now. I still am getting used to not having a tutor come in the mornings. Bye Mama, I'll explain the wedding when I see you, hopefully very soon. There is so much more I want to tell you, but I can't. Not until I talk to Michael about it. _

_Love, Mia _

I hated not telling her. Telling her that she was going to be a grandmother. But I couldn't. Not until everything was for certain.

* * *

"Mia, are you all right in there?" Mrs. Moscovitz asked, knocking on the bathroom door. 

I had stopped throwing up, but I was always _so_ dizzy. The doctor, who I visited with when I took Miranda there said that after the first trimester the morning sickness should go away. Of course, he was telling _her_ this, not me. No one even knows I am pregnant. Well, Lilly does, but she does not like discussing it too much. She says it brings awful mental images to her.

I was in the bathroom looking at my belly. Wasn't I supposed to get a bigger one? Maybe I was just imagining being pregnant. Lilly says that sometimes that happens. You force the symptoms because you actually want to be. But I never wanted to have a baby I'm too young!

"Yes Mrs. Moscovitz. I'll be right out."

She opened the door, "We need to talk, Mia."

Uh oh. "What is it? Something about Michael? Is he-"

"He's fine. Come with me to the den," she said, taking my hand and pulling me to the room where every awful discussion that had occurred since my arrivalhad beenheld.

"Yes?" I asked, straightening out my skirt as I sat on the couch. "What is it?"

"Are you having a baby?"

My immediate response would be to lie. But why? I am a married woman. "I…I don't know. I am not sure."

"I am sure you and Michael have…consummated your union, correct?"

Oh. My. God. I am about to discuss SEX with my husband's mother! "Well…"

"I do not mean to embarrass you, Mia. But this is a rather important issue we have here. Do you fully understand the consequences?"

I bit my lip.

"Mia, you and Michael….you are having a baby, aren't you?"

I nodded silently.

She sighed loudly. Then followed that with silence. Only a few minutes later,"Very well then. We will go to our physician and have you looked over. My grandchild must be well taken care of. Does Michael know?"

I shook my head. "He left before I discovered-"

"We won't tell him until he gets home. We don't want him to be worried. Understood? You are to act totally natural and talk about school and gossip. You do understand that you will be unable to attend school, right? That is, once you start showing."

* * *

_Dear Mother, _

_I fear I have some distressing news. I am going to be giving you a grandchild this summer. Please do not be upset. Mrs. Moscovitz will be taking care of me. Do not tell Grandmama, please. She'd have him murdered. Just remember that I am in fact a married woman now so I have every right to be pregnant. _

_Mrs. Moscovitz is making sure I am eating correctly and took me to her physician as soon as possible. He said that the baby will arrive in the middle of August. Isn't that frightening? Youalwayswarned me that pregnancy in the summertimeI will be tutored in their home. Mother, I am scared. I haven't really talked to anyone about this, so I shall confide in you. _

_I'm terrified of the pain this is going to cause me. And that Michael will not be available for me to get comfort from. He doesn't even know I am with child. His mother said it would be best not to tell him. That it would bring un-due stress to him. Mother, all I want in the world is for him to come home safely and to see our baby. _

_But for now I would make due with having you hold me and sing me my lullaby that you always sang to me when I was worried. I wonder if I shall sing to my child. _

_Do you think Father will be very upset with me? If that is the case, then do not tell him. He shall find out when he meets our little stranger. _

_Mother, I need your help now more than ever. Please support me. _

_-Mia _

I wrote a similar letter to my father. I was a bit more timid with him since I was sure he would have the Genovian Guard (a royal security force that usually protected the palace from attack) castrate my poor husband.

MICHAEL:

We're on a training session now. Not too much to really tell. They told us that we'd be able to see our family soon…but I haven't heard anything about it. We were on a ship. I was going to work in the control room. Which is kind of interesting.

"How long has it been since you've heard from your girl?" my bunkmate, Adam asked.

"Two months," I replied.

"You got married, right?" he asked, folding his uniform according to code.

"Yes," I said impatiently. The mailman was coming by tomorrow. I _had_ to write to Mia.

_Mia, _

_I cannot believe it's beentwo months since I've seen your face! They finally have usout on the seas training and have deemed it appropriate to write (finally)I've missed you so much. But life here is not too bad. I like having the order to my schedule. Kind of. Okay, not really. I try to get through the days and know that with each passing day I'll be that much closer to seeing you. _

_When I come home we can figure all this out. I can't say too much here, but you know what I mean. I'll finish school. Who knows, maybe we'll even graduate together! Then I'll go to Harvard, like Dad wants. We can have a place in __Cambridge__. If your parents let us. _

_But the army will give us money for school and housing after this is over. So we can have a place together in __Cambridge__, like I said before, and then once I graduate we can sell it and move out west like we planned. And we can start our family. Well, I guess we could start our family while we are back east. That way my mother could help teach you how to take care of a baby. I'm sure you have no idea…sorry, but we both know you aren't the most domestic of wives. But that's one of the things I love about us; we get to learn together. _

_I want you to go to school too though. I'm not going to be like my dad who made my mother stay home and raise the kids. Mia…dear, we aren't going to be like our parents. We're going to have incrediable and exciting lives together. Times up for now, baby. I can't wait to hear from you again. And can't wait to see your face.  
Love Always, _

_Michael

* * *

_

It was lights out then. "Night Adam."

It's weird, sleeping on a ship. It's taken awhile for me to get used to the swaying of the ship. But I liked this life. And I was hearing that Germany was bout to sue for peace any day now. Maybe only weeks left for the war in Europe. We'd only have to deal with Japan.

"Didya hear?" Kevin asked excitedly the next morning.

I looked at him strangely. "What?" I asked.

"We are doing a dry run this afternoon. But keep it quiet. No one is supposed to know," he whispered.

"How do you know then?" I asked.

"I overheard Stewart and Morgan calling."

"What did Captain Morgan say to Stewart?" I asked, tying my shoe.

He straightened my tie. "It can go at any minute. They are testing us. But I'll see you in the mess hall for lunch?"

I laughed. Our lunches were kind of a joke. Food supplies were limited…very limited. "Yeah, later man."


	26. Waiting Games Begin

Author's Note: What I meant by dry run was a test for them. They were being tested on what they've learned. They...okay, well, you'll see in this chapter. The story began in August 1944. It is _now_ early 1945.

**Vathei:** The names go along with the time. I would hate being called sweetheart, but it's the forties. They were crazy back then ;)

**Aphi**: Don't worry, lots more to read. And the real drama starts just about this chapter....

* * *

I went to report for my morning duties in the control room. Another man, Johnny, looked nervous. "What's wrong?" I asked, biting my lip and trying to catch a peek at the messages that had come through overnight.

"It's just…I wrote my girl, Sandy…I broke up with her."

I looked at him strangely. Just the day before he was talking about how he wanted to marry this girl…wait, her name wasn't _Sandy_ yesterday. "I thought your girl was named Jenny?"

"She is. Sandy never knew about Jenny. That's why I broke it off with her. I had to decide which girl I wanted," he started as we took our seats at the control. "I'm thinking I should have picked Sandy."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because she…she just is better for me. Jenny is wild and fun and crazy. Sandy is more reliable and loyal. She doesn't go out dancing and never wears too much lip stick."

I smiled, thinking of my Mia. She only made herself up on special occasions. Her grandmother used to make her dress for _everything_. I could imagine her sitting in her pajamas on my bed reading one of her novels. Maybe she'll have curlers in her hair.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked with a slight laugh.

"Tired," I replied. That wasn't a lie. They'd been pushing us hard. They needed the new recruits out as soon as possible. I was doing way more work than I would have ever imagined back in school.

"You got a girl back home too, right?" he asked, picking up a message.

"Yeah. Mia. We got married back in December. On Christmas."

"Congratulations-"

Sirens went off. We stared at each other. "Oh shit…" I said jumping up.

We ran into the engine room to help prep the engine's for battle. I knew this wasn't a _real_ battle, but Johnny didn't. He looked terrified. "Why the hell are you so damn calm?" he screamed.

I saw Kevin running toward me. He was waving his arms around. "What?" I asked. He needed to relax. This was just a test for us. Like a final exam.

I looked at the machine in front of me, which was making a weird noise. I saw a bolt loose so I reached for it. That was the last thing I remember from that day, March 21, 1945.

* * *

MIA

"I'm sending some chocolates to him," I said tying the ribbon on the package. I was so happy I was finally able to write to him.

"You know that is his weakness," Lilly replied, reading her latest YM. "Well, that and you of course. I can hardly believe it's only been a month and a half. It seems like forever, doesn't it?"

I looked at the picture that had been sent the week before. He was as handsome as ever. And his smirk was priceless. It made me miss him even more. I held his picture to my belly, "This is your daddy," I said softly to my stomach.

"You are nuts," Lilly said with a laugh.

I smiled, "He will be so surprised, won't he?"

She nodded, "He'll be happy. A bit mad that you haven't told him. But _mostly_ happy."

I bit my lip, "You think it's smart that I'm not telling him while he's over there, right?"

"Yes. I know my brother. He'll totally freak out and be all distracted. He needs to focus."

I nodded in agreement. "It's just too bad we did not get to celebrate Valentine's Day together."

She snorted, "You Genovians have really weird traditions."

I gave her a confused look. "Huh?"

"I mean, you have some of our traditions-"

"Celebrating with the one you love is _not_ an American tradition," I cut in, "Genovians are known world wide for their amorous interactions."

She laughed, "You are such a weirdo, Mia. Want some juice?" she asked, getting off the bed and walking into the hall.

"Yes, thank you," I replied, staring at my hands.

I looked at my wedding band and thought about Michael wearing his God knows where. I wondered if he'd told anyone there about me. He did like to keep things private…he probably never told anyone about me. Keeping me a secret.

I looked at the mailbox every afternoon. Nothing from Michael. The mail man almost looked like he pitied me. "I'm sure he'll write soon, Mia," he promised late in February. We'd gotten to talking one day and he knew my story fairly well now.

"I know…"

"My own son is over there. Hardly has a moment to himself. They are very busy young men these days."

I nodded, trying to hold a brave face. "Right. I better go back inside before I catch a cold. Have a nice afternoon, Mr. Robitussin."

"You too Miss Mia."

That night I was looking over my geometry homework. I was going to stop going to the school soon because I was going to start showing any day now. But this was my last week. Mrs. Moscovitz thought it would be best for us to bite the bullet (or something like that). Everything was quiet in the apartment. Lilly was studying her geography on my floor (I was now sleeping in Michael's bedroom. I have made it more feminine though by adding some photos of film stars that Lilly has taught me about).

Dr. and Mrs. Moscovitz were in the den listening to the news. He was reading the paper and she was knitting a scarf or something for me to wear. A knock came to the front door. Lilly looked at me. "Are you expecting Randa?"

I shook my head. "No. She was going to see her grandmother tonight. Was Tina coming over? Or Laura?"

She shook her head. "They'd ring before."

We jumped up and poked our heads out the door to see Dr. Moscovitz closing the front door and looking upset. I slowly left my room with a foreboding feeling in my belly. "Dr-"

"Girls, go sit in the kitchen," he said sternly to Lilly and I.

We hustled into the kitchen. "He _has_ to be okay. They haven't even seen combat yet, right? You haven't heard about his ship have you?" I asked her. Then I remembered that neither of us had listened to the radio since he'd left. We were both too nervous.

She shook her head. "No, they were just leaving port. I was talking to someone in the offices the other day." Lilly worked as a page in the mayor's office in City Hall. She sometimes checked Michael's status by visiting with some people in the war office.

Dr. Moscovitz sat down with us. Mrs. Moscovitz was standing behind him, trying to stay calm. "Michael's ship was attacked about a week ago. Survivors of the attack are spread throughout the European-"

"He was supposed to be going to the _Pacific_," I said. "It's the wrong ship," I said laughing hysterically. "They messed-"

"But the ship that came to _help_ was going to Europe," Dr. Moscovitz replied calmly. I hated psychoanalysts. They were too calm. "They do believe he was saved, but are awaiting confirmation."

Lilly took my hand. "Were there many….many survivors?" she asked with a quivering lower lip.

Dr. Moscovitz slammed the telegram down on the table and stormed out of the room. Mrs. Moscovitz took over, "I'm sure he's fine," she said hopefully.

"He will write to us, right?" I asked, biting my nails.

She nodded, "Of course he will. Why wouldn't he? He will write to let us know he is fine. We'll just wait and see."


	27. Wakey Wakey

AN:

**Chaos:** YM did exist. Its first issue was in 1944. I mentioned it earlier in the story with the 'signs he's in love with you' or something. Of course they would have called it Young Miss but I'm too lazy ;). Thanks for the compliment.

**Ikinder:** you make me laugh ;)  
**Amazing-Otter**: Why on earth would you think of Weezer in a time like this? Shocking. Heh. That girl who killed Michael _is_ evil. I've talked to her and determined that she is sadistic.

MICHAEL:

I woke up in a hospital. "What the hell? Where am I? What's going on?" I screamed.

A nurse rushed over to me. "Michael Moscovitz? Sir?" she asked, looking very concerned.

"Who are you?" I asked pushing myself against the pillow.

"My name is Hannah," she said softly.

"A-Are you an angel?" I whispered, realizing we were surrounded by whiteness.

She laughed, "No. _Just_ a nurse."

I licked my lips, "What the hell am I doing here?" I asked.

She looked behind herself, "Let me go get the doctor."

I tried to remember what happened. I remember reaching into the machine, like I'd done dozens of times before, then everything went black. I looked at my left hand to make sure I still had my wedding band. I did, thank God. But I hadn't reached with my left hand, I reached with my right.

Oh. Dear. God.

The top of my middle, index and ring fingers were all bandaged up. I looked up to see an older looking doctor smiling weakly at me. "I'm glad to see you rejoined us, Moscovitz. How are we feeling today?" the doctor asked. I saw his name was Doctor Gianni. An Italian guy.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked. "Why are my fingers bandaged up? Where is Kevin? Where-"

"Slow down, Michael," he said, sounding like my dad did when I was six and wanted to go ride my bicycle in the snow. "There was an accident on the ship. You were hit with friendly fire."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"An American ship gave the wrong coordinates and thought…they thought your ship was a German one."

"How is that even possible? We have an American flag right up there!" I said pointing up in the air.

"Quiet down, son," the doctor said in his soft Italian accent. "Other patients are sleeping."

"What happened to me?" I asked. "I mean, you guys are acting like I've been gone."

"You've been in a coma for the past two weeks. Technically, you _have_ been gone. You were hit by shrapnel and carried out by one of your crew members."

"So that explains the bandages on my right hand-"

"No. We are assuming that some shrapnel sliced through the top of your fingers. We had to remove some of the skin on the top because of infection. You will work with a therapist to learn how to write with your left hand."

I covered my face with my left hand. My only real hand left. "Why?" I screamed. "Wait, what's wrong with my face?" I asked, feeling bandages there too.

He took my hand away. "We had to scrape some dead skin off from the explosion. It will grow back. You won't have scarring, at least not much. Your legs were also both broken and you will need to go through some physical therapy."

"I want to go home," I said quickly thinking of Mia. She must be terrified. I was staring at my legs which were covered in a plastered cast. Both of them.

"You can write home once you get your energy back. They'll be notified of your location. I'm sure you have mail on its way right now."

"My wife…I need to see my wife. Where's Kevin?" I was going crazy. I needed _someone_ from home.

"Kevin who?"

"Kevin Fitzsimmons. He was on the ship. He was with me. He's my best friend. Where is he? Bring me to him!"

Hannah looked up from her clipboard and shook her head to the doctor.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked, the pit of my stomach eating away at itself.

"Son, get some rest-"

"No. I've rested for two weeks. Where is my friend?" I said frantically, almost knowing the answer already.

"Michael…. he didn't survive the explosion."

"No!" I screamed. "He's…he just got married. He's having a baby, well, his _wife _is. Look again, Hannah."

"I'm sorry."

"We'll leave you alone for a spell," the doctor said softly. "By the way, my name is Frank Gianni. I run this hospital. If you need anything you can call for Hannah. She's the nurse for this section."

I stared at her coldly. I just wanted to be _home_. "Just one thing. Where the hell am I?"

"London," she replied as the doctor walked away. "Well, a village near London. I'm from here," she started chatting away.

"I'd like to be alone," I cut her off. "Would you mind?"

She turned red, "Sorry, sir."

* * *

I stared at the ceiling. My best friend was dead. I basically had no hand. All I have left is Mia, and she's thousands of miles away from me. And I was stuck right here. Until God knows when. I could hear the moans of the other guys around me. We were only given the privacy that a curtain could offer.

Another week went by before I gathered the courage to ask Hannah to stay with me a little while. I needed some company. "Well, I am about to go on break," she said, blushing.

She took a seat next to my bed. "What is life like for you back home? Where are you from?"

She already knew I was from New York. It was in all my paperwork. "I left school when I turned eighteen and joined up. Me and all my buddies….um…well, I got married," I said, wiggling my wedding band to her.

"Oh, you are married. I thought you were just…I thought it was the medication we put into you."

"No," I said laughing. "I had a picture of my wife in my pocket when it happened, it probably got ruined though."

She went into the drawer next to my bed, "You weren't in that rough of shape. The fire didn't really touch you, from what I hear. The intensity of the heat caused the marks on your face.Is this her?" she asked.

I looked at the picture and it took my breath away. "Yes. That's my Mia."

"She's…pretty," she said reluctantly. "How old is she? She looks _quite_ young."

"Sixteen," I replied. "But she'll be seventeen in May. She's a lot older than her age would make her seem to be. She's more mature than a lot of girls at school."

"Childhood sweethearts?" she asked, handing me the picture.

I stared at it, "No. We met at the end of last summer. She's from Genovia. Her family sent her to live with mine for safety reasons. I just….I fell in love with her."

"In such a short time?" she asked.

"Sometimes you just _know_," I replied. "Like…on the exterior she seemed snotty and stuck up…but she really…I looked in her eyes and knew right away that we'd be together. It took until October for us to actually get together…but I just know its right. What about you? Got a guy?"

She smiled weakly, "He broke up with me before he left. He didn't think it'd be fair to leave me behind wondering. His name was Colin. High school sweethearts. But I'm sure once he gets back we'll be together."

"Do you write to him?" I asked, an idea forming in my mind.

"No, of course not. He's…he's busy."

"Well, if you wouldn't mind…would you help me write to Mia? To let her know I'm okay? So she can be prepared for all this?"

She looked like I had slapped her across the face, "Sure thing. No problem. I uh…I gotta go back to my rounds. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, Hannah."


	28. Letters from Afar

MIA

All we know is that he's in a hospital outside of London. I'd been in London dozens of times. I'd been to visit Elizabeth only three years ago at her coming out party. The thought of him there made my stomach feel squishy inside.

"Are you okay, dear?" Mrs. Moscovitz asked.

"Yes," I lied automatically. That came naturally now.

"A letter, from your mother," she said handing me a note. She knew what I'd written to my mother before.

_Mia_

_I cannot express my severe disappointment enough. So I will instead feign cheerfulness. I am very happy that you are at least married when you became with child. That will make Papa happy. Promise me that you will act with the most graciousness toward your hostess. She has had her life change dramatically since you arrived._

_How far along are you now, dear one? I cannot believe that next time I see you, you will be holding a wee little babe. The child must have a proper name, that is the only way Grandmama will accept it. Perhaps name the child after Grandmama or Grandpapa? There is time to think about this._

_Are you very excited about having the baby? I wish I could be there to help you in this time, but we all know that is not possible. I put my faith in Mrs. Moscovitz to care for you. Be sure to mind her. She has been through this twice and knows the ropes._

_Life here is going well. Papa has learned the ropes of farm life. He does not enjoy living with my family, but I remind him that I live with his for my entire life. He relented and said he'll do it for the war effort, but nothing else. I have not told him of your news. I wanted you to write to me to tell me if I should or not._

_Love Always,_

_Mama_

_Mama-_

_I am terribly sorry that you are disappointed in me. But I have rather distressing news now. My Michael's ship has been attacked and he is in a hospital in England. I have to wait for his letter. How horrid is that?_

_I am terribly nervous for his safety, Mama. What if there is a bomb that hits the hospital? We do not even know of the severity of his injuries. Mama, I do not know what I should do if something were to happen to him. I just…I couldn't handle it. How did you handle Papa during the Great War?_

_I have not thought of names for the baby. But I will not be naming my daughter Clarisse or my son Artur. I like more American sounding names. Possibly Amanda for a girl, or George for a boy. What do you think of those names?_

_I would love to see a photograph of Papa on the farm! You must send that in your next bundle. I must go now. I'm starving._

_-Love Always your Daughter_

_PS: I'm not saying they do not treat me well…The Moscovitz's feed me very well._

I hadn't heard from Randa since the accident, which was rather surprising to me. I tried visiting her to hear of Kevin's condition, but got not an answer at the Fitzsimmon's house hold, or her mother's home. In mid April I finally got the letter I had been waiting for.

_Dearest Mia_

_My friend Hannah, my nurse, is writing this for me, so forgive the handwriting. I just peeked over and see that is in fact neaterthan my own. Remember how you used to tease me? I suppose we'll work on it when I get home. Hannah, my nurse, has been very kind to me since I woke from my coma. She visits with me daily and has lunch with me. She tells me about growing up in England and about her brothers. She's onlyeighteen, but has been working in the hospital since she was sixteen. How impressive is that I ask you? She's been the only true light while I have been here in the hospital. She makes me laugh and tells me jokes. SHe often updates me on the going onswith the war.For a girl as pretty as she is, she sure does have quite the mind. That is, she can discuss things with me that not even you can understand. Just the other day we were talking about this writer, Longfellow.His writings have always brought me joy._

_I only have the energy to tell you the severity of my injuries. I lost the tops of my first three fingers on my right hand (the index, middle and ring). Apparently they got caught in a machine during the accident. I had some burns on my face, but Hannah tells me they are healing quite nicely. I'll look handsome when I get back to you sweetheart._

_I also broke both my legs. Someone carried me from our burning ship to the life rafts we had waited in until the rescue ship arrived and took us to England, where I am right now. In a hospital bed writing to my best girl. My only girl._

_I have to go now. They are removing the bandages from my face today and letting my skin feel air for the first time in over a month. I miss you darling and will hurry recovering so I can return to you._

_Love,_

_Michael_

"What is it?" Lilly asked, realizing I was upset. "Is he…Is he okay?"

"Huh? Oh, well, yes…he..." I thought of how to phrase my next sentence. How does one tell a girl that her brother has lost the tops of his fingers, yet, try to not sound foolish?

"What?" she said harshly. "What happened?"

"He lost the tips of his fingers," I replied, staring at the paper that some other girl had held for him.

"He what?" she said, almost with a laugh.

"Lost the tips of his fingers," I replied. "In the explosion. And broke his legs."

"What a dingbat!" she said howling with laughter. "I mean, his fingers? Good thing he doesn't have to impress anyone here with his battle wounds."

Her callous behavior amazed me. "He's your _brothe_r."

"I know, that's why I can tease him," she said with a smirk. "You are the one to fawn over him. I get to make fun of him. Duh."

I gave her a look. Somethign else was bothering me. How he spoke of this nurse woman. How close were they exactly?

"What's wrong?" Lilly asked, grabbing the letter. She quickly read it, "Wow, that is weird. Why is he talking about this other girl so much? And what kind of girl would allow a married man to speak of her like that? And even write to his wife like that?"

I scratched my head, "It's probably nothing. He wouldnt' say it if...if he thought anything truly of her. Why would he tell me? Right?"

She looked at the penmenship suspciously, "_She_ was the one writing it though."

I shook my head, "He's just polite. He probably wanted her to know how much he appreciated her help."

"I'm sure," Lilly said handing the paper back to me, "Are you going to write back to him about the little-"

"No, she will not," her mother interrupted us. "He's not to be interrupted. I want him to recuperate at the proper speed. I don't want him acting foolish and rushing things along so he can return.."

I guess she either over heard us or had gotten a letter of her own.

"Moooom," Lilly said in a whiney voice. "Please. He _has_ to know that he's going to be a father."

"No. Not yet."

Lilly rolled her eyes as her mother left my room. "I guess the longer you put off telling him the longer she can avoid accepting that she'll be a grandmother in August. Severe psychological problems, that one."

I stared at my best friend. "Are you crazy?" I would have never said such a thing about my own mother. Then again, she might be a prime candidate for Dr. Moscovitz's newest experiment on women in war torn countries. OR the one about women that give up everything they know for love. He's a love doctor, that man.

"Maybe a little. When are you supposed to start showing?" she asked, placing her hand on my belly. I would find that rude by most people, but not her. She was my sister now. She had every right to do that. It was her neice or nephew in there.

"Well, I guess I _should_ be now…"

"You are still as little as ever. This could be all in your head-"

"Lilly, the doctor's confirmed it," I reminded her. She was constantly trying to convince me that I wasn't really pregnant.

"Mia!" You have a guest!" Dr. Moscovitz called.

"Who would be here for you?" Lilly asked.


	29. Longing

Author's Note: There is something in here that may look like a mistake, but it's not one at all. All will be explained in due time.

Oh, and **RACHEL**: I have had this written since September. So I have the ability to post when the mood strikes me. And **HGill:** Kenny isn't in this story silly.

Read. Review. Be Merry.

Go Pats.

Fifteen days til spring training for the Sox.

* * *

MIA: 

Lilly and I poked our heads out the door and saw Randa standing by the front door. She had a heavy coat on and a suitcase next to her.

"Randa!" I said rushing to her. "How are-"

"He's dead," she said calmly. _Way_ too calmly. "I'm moving to Carmel, California to…to start over. I'm going to live with my aunt and uncle out there. They are going to raise the baby as their own."

"Randa….I…" I was trying desperately to take this all in. It was impossible. He couldn't be dead. Michael would have said something. Maybe he didn't know yet… "Miranda, why are you giving-"

"Look, I just wanted to say goodbye. I'm starting all over out there but…I just wanted to say goodbye and to wish you and Michael…."she drifted off looking at her feet, then focused her attention fully on me. "Why do _you_ get this life? I'm supposed to!"

"I..I…What?"  
"You just come _right_ along and get Michael to marry you. You are getting the life _I_ was supposed to have with _Kevin_! I've been with him so much longer!"

I glanced nervously at Lilly, who looked sincerely surprised by the outburst.

"I'm sorry-"

"It's just not _fair_! I'm the one that's older! I'm the one that's supposed to have the life! He and I are supposed to go live in Greenwich in Connecticut. He is going to be a lawyer!"

I noted that she was talking in the present tense. She clearly hadn't gotten near accepting his death. "Randa…I…."

"Why couldn't _Michael_ have died instead?" she screamed.

I nearly fell backwards in surprise, but Lilly caught me.

Mrs. Moscovitz emerged from the den, "What on...comealong now, let's get you back downstairs to your mother shall we?" she said, holding back her own tears. She'd known Kevin almost as long as she'd known her own son.

I watched from my bedroom window as Miranda was hugged by Mrs. Moscovitz. She was being given words of wisdom from my mother in law. Something _I_ wouldn't mind that much.

I was expected to deal with Michael's absence on my own. Sure, she helped with my pregnancy, but Dr. Moscovitz has made it abundantly clear that we are to be on our own once Michael returns. Which is fine since that's what Michael wants anyways. For us to be on our own. But then he also doesn't know that we will have a baby at the same time.

* * *

MICHAEL: 

"Anything?" I asked Hannah two weeks after she sent Mia's letter for me.

She shook her head. "But we are moving you to a room instead of this hallway. In fact, I believe you are sharing a room with your _rescuer_."

My eyes widened, "My what?"

"The man who carried you off the ship," she replied. "He was almost off the ship and he saw you lying unconscious. He went back for you."

I hadn't known the whole story, nor had I wanted to know the whole story. "You guys know who it was? An American?"

"No. A Genovian."

"A what?"

"I know, hardly anyone has heard of that country. It's really small, between Italy and France. It's nothing really. They don't even have a standing army-"

"I know all that…I just didn't think they'd…"

"Some volunteer help with you American troops. Especially on the ships with new recruits. This guy was working in the engine room, where you were."

I tried to remember all the faces I saw, but they were all a blur. "What's his name? So I can thank him properly."

She looked back at her folder, "Arthur Jacques. He's only eighteen, like us."

"You are only eighteen?" I asked, surprised. She started pushing me toward my new room.

"Yes. Surprised much?"

"I just…you seem so much older."

"What, you have a thing for older women?" she teased as she turned a corner into my room.

I shook my head, "_Hardly_. Mia is only sixteen. Seventeen in May... Shit, her birthday is tomorrow!"

"I'm sure she'll understand under the circumstances. Private Jacques?"

A blonde man turned around and stared at me. "Moscovitz I presume?"

I nodded and stared at him. He had an eye patch on his left eye. And very visible marks on his face. "Hero," I replied with a smirk.

He smiled, "I wouldn't say that," he said with an accent that reminded me of my wife. The airy way she spoke when she first arrived in New York.

"You boys should be behaving yourselves in here. The night nurse will be in in a few minutes to change the bandages on your eye Arthur," she said, helping me get into my bed.

"Thanks, Hannah," he said with a sense of longing that only another man would notice.

After she left, "I hear you are from Genovia?"

He sat on the edge of my bed. "Yes. It's-"

"On the Cote d'Azur. Population approximately 50,000. Smaller than New York City even. You have a monarchy. The family was chosen by an old Italian king back in the old days," I recited, copying Mia's speech about her home. Back when she first came over she always spoke so longingly of it. By the time I left though...well, she hadn't.

He looked surprised and completely taken back. "How'd you know-"

I smirked, "I read about your princess. Amelia is it?"

He looked terror stricken, "Amelia…yes, that's her name. A great many boys have her picture hanging on their walls. I read that she left the country, right?"

"From what I know, yes."

"When I left there was a family portrait released. Copies of her photograph was spread around. From what I understand many men would want to court her."

"Oh?"

"You see, her brother escaped and joined the services," he started, "And rumor is that their grandmother had not approved of this. So Princess Amelia is the sole heir to the throne. And therefore, a popular debutante."

Heh. He had no idea that his fair princess was taken. "_You_ have a thing for her?" I teased.

"Me?" he asked, nearly choking on air, "No. I never quite got into that whole royalty thing you see. I am from Genovia, yes…but I lived the majority of my life in Italy."

"Oh…right."

"Moscovitz….that's an interesting name. Where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't," I replied, staring at my ring.

"Well then, where are you from?"

"New York City," I replied.

His eyes widened, "Moscovitz…hmmm, well, I'm sure we are to be friends now that we are roommates."

"Maybe," I said, thinking about Kevin. That wound was still way too fresh. I'd almost be replacing him with this new guy.

"Got a girl?" he asked, going back onto his bed.

"Yeah. A _wife_ actually," I emphasized by showing my ring.

"How'd she get you to do that?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You _wanted_ to get married?"

"To her? Yes. Before I met her I didn't, but she changed my mind."

"Just like a woman."

"No, see…Just knowing her changed my mind. I fell head over heels for her. It wasn't…forget it."

"No, what?" he asked. "I know we only just met but in times like these you got nothing to do _but_ talk."

"At first I didn't like her. But we kind of were forced to be together a lot since she was living with my family, see…she's from Europe see…uh, France….um….well…" I stammered. I'm a horrible liar. But I didn't want him to figure out that Mia, or Amelia, was my wife. Not many Genovians can get to America easily. He'd figure it out.

"You just took advantage of the situation?" he asked with a chuckle. "I've heard great things about those French girls."

"No. I didn't want to fall in love with her….knowing I'd be here in just a few months. But it was too hard not to. She's not the type of girl that you see in America. She's funny when she's not trying to be. She started out being this stiff nervous girl…but she opened up for me."

He raised an eyebrow, "Opened up? You got some from her before-"

"Man, seriously, this is my _wife_. I'm not about to talk about her like…I don't even know you…"

"Sorry. So what's she like? Her name…hair…c'mon, I don't have much going for me here," he said, pointing at his patch. "I won't be attracting my choice of ladies. Let me live vicariously."

I looked at the side of his face that was not disfigured and realized he would have been good looking if this hadn't happened. He'd have no problem finding dates for Saturday nights. "Well, she has dark hair. Grey eyes. Tall….much taller than most girls I've known."

He laughed, "That sounds like my kid sister…uh, she's like fifteen and a head taller than I am. What part of Europe is she from?"

"France," I lied. "She comes from France."

"Oh right. Right. Sorry, I forget some things."

"No problem," I replied, feeling at ease.

He laughed. "I used to have a girl, back home…but you know how it is. No point in typing someone down if you know you won't be with them."

I was about to ask how he knew he wouldn't be with this girl when the night nurse, Betty, came in. "Okay boys. Time to sleep. You can talk in the morning."

* * *

The next morning Arthur was already gone when I woke up. "He's just going for new bandages," Hannah promised me. 

"Oh. Any mail?" I asked hopefully.

"No. None at all," she replied.

"When will you have time to write to her for me?"

She sighed, "Lunchtime."

"Okay."

She, surprisingly, touched my cheek, "Your wounds are healing quite nicely."

"Right," I said, wiggling my non existent fingers.

"Stop feeling badly for yourself. Now I'll be back at lunch time to talk. Buh Bye," she said, wiggling her fingers at me. I could swear she was flirting…but she wouldn't…would she?

* * *

"That nurse Hannah is pretty cute," Arthur said later on that afternoon, after I finished dictating my letter. 

"Not my type," I replied, biting my lip.

"Anything lacking a penis is my type," he admitted. "I definitely need a woman right now."

I smirked. I knew that the navy wouldn't need my services anymore considering I managed to slice off my fingers. And I'd be walking with a limp for the rest of my life, if what Hannah tells me is true. I was going to go home. To my Mia.

"I just want _Mia_," I replied with a distant smile, remembering our last night together. How she felt sleeping in my arms.

"Who? Her name is _Mia_?" he asked hastily.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh…it's just an odd name. Not many girls are named that."

I stared at him. He couldn't see me staring since he was patched up. His profile was familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Well, her _real_ name is Amelia."

He turned towards me, "Like the princess?"

I realized my mistake right away, "Yeah, I guess it was a popular name that year."

"I guess. Well, I think Hannah has the hots for you."

I shrugged, "Who cares? I don't like her like that. She knows I'm happily taken. We are friends."

"You haven't had a _single_ thought like that about her?"

I shook my head, "Nope."

"No smoking the sausage fora nurse that wants you?"

"Smoking the…." I said fading out, realizing what he meant. "God, no. Even if I wanted to I couldn't."

He looked satisfied. "I wouldn't mind slumming it with her. A wartime affair?"

I shook my head. "I'll wait for my wife back home, thanks."


	30. A New Job

MIA:

I sent a letter back to Michael right away..you know, after the drama with Randa settled. After I got over the fact that she was being so...so...such a deraisonnable chienne. Sorry, when I get upset like this I start resorting to French.

_Michael,_

_Thank goodness I heard from you! We got word about the accident, but nothing about you! We were so worried about your safety. I know you have suffered a major loss, but at least we still have the rest of you…_

_I've been missing you more than I'd like to let on. There are things around here that I want you to know, but your mother won't allow me to tell you. Well, she doesn't read letters, right?_

_We are going to be parents! I'm five months along, almost six months now. Your mother has been of the greatest help to me. Bringing me to the physician's office and getting me vitamins and whatnot. Michael, no matter how much help she's been, I'd rather have you here to help me._

_I'm terrified of giving birth. What if the baby isn't healthy? What shall I do then? I mean, I have yet to start showing, is that healthy? Michael, please write back to give me encouragement! I need you!_

_I started taking correspondence courses so I wouldn't be showing in school. I'll graduate faster this way. Your father has been teaching me my geometry course. He is just as patient as you have always been. He's even warming up to the idea that we are married and are having a baby together._

_Lilly says hello. I know she misses you, but would never admit to it. Being your sister and all. _

_When do you suppose you will be coming home? They can't possibly need you over in dreary old England if you are injured, right? _

_Listen to me going on like this…a poor victim when you are the one bed bound. I am counting the days until you are back in our bed, holding me and our baby._

_-Write back soon,_

_Your loving Wife Mia_

I didn't mention Kevin or Randa because I was sure he already knew. If he wasn't going to say a word, I would not either. He was probably too upset.

* * *

"Nothing?" I asked, it was the end of May with no letter back.

"Nope," Lilly replied. "I'm sure he's very busy over there, rehabilitating his legs and everything."

She didn't know I had told him about the baby. "I suppose…."

But I laid in bed wondering. Maybe he didn't _want_ the baby? I probably scared him off. I've heard of things like this before. The man goes over seas and never returns to his wifeand children. He had left a girl that was in her prime. Now I just felt like a whale. I rubbed my belly. I was _scared_ of what my body had become. I was just a carrier for this…this child. I still had until August to carry it around. I stared at it and stuck out my tongue. He probably hated me now because I was making him face the grown up world of fatherhood.

I mean, we've only been married since December. December right? He left in January. We haven't even really had a chance to be alone.

_God, please let him get leave soon.

* * *

_

I hardly left the apartment any more. But it was turning warmer out so Lilly and I started taking walks every evening after dinner. "Maybe he.." I said, trying to think of an excuse for his lack of writing.

"Mia, the man just lost three fingers practically. I'm sure his little friend _Hannah_ won't be giving him all her time so she can write for him."

I shrugged. "I suppose you have a point-"

"Oh my God!" Jill's voice squealed from in front of us. We hadn't been paying attention.

"Oh, hi Jill," Lilly said, trying to be polite.

"You are pregnant! That's too funny!" she said, hardly able to stand with her laughter.

I sighed. "Insanely hilarious. Good bye Jilly."

"Wait, is Michael the father or-"

"Or is _Josh_?" Lilly replied. "She wouldn't touch your boyfriend. Although I'm sure he has been sneaking around behind your back with other girls."

Jill stood there, open mouthed.

"Bye, bye now Jilly," Lill said wiggling her fingers.

* * *

MICHAEL:

Why the _hell_ isn't she writing back to me?

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked late one Sunday night.

"Mia….I dunno, you've seen me and Hannah in here writing almost every day. Why hasn't Mia written back to me?"

Arthur smirked. "Think about it. Think about each and every time you and Hannah are in here writing."

So I laid back and thought of just the previous day, the freshest in my mind.

"_I hope she'll write back," I said as we settled down to write yet another letter._

"_I'm sure. Your face is healing quite well," Hannah said, touching my cheek._

_I shrugged, "I guess. I just hope it'll look okay for when I see Mia."_

"_Just how serious are you two?" she asked, taking some paper out._

"_Well, we are married so…"_

"_But is it even legal? I mean, if she's only sixteen…"_

"_Of course it is. In New York at least."_

"_What is it that you see in her anyways?" she asked, sitting on the edge of my bed._

_I shook my head, "She's amazing. My reason for living really."_

_She dropped the pen she wrote with and bent over with great effort to pick it up. "I'm so clumsy."_

"_Mia is too. I took her ice skating for the first time this winter. She kept falling down."_

_She sighed. "Let's get to this letter already."_

"What's wrong with that?" I asked.

Arthur shook his head. "She is interested in you. She likes you…as you American's would say, she thinks you are the_ bees knees_."

"I can't say I've heard of that phrase. But how do you figure she likes me?"

"She sits on your bed, only comes in here when you are alone-"

"She doesn't want me to be lonely," I argued.

He rolled his eyes again. "Oh please Michael. Get real."

He sounded funny saying that. With his accent and all. "She knows I care only for Mia."

"I could have sworn I saw your name on an envelope a few weeks ago. I wouldn't trust Hannah to write to your Mia anymore."

I played with my wedding band, and he started staring at it. "Wait…Can I see your ring for a second?" he asked.

I made a face, "Sorry, I don't wanna take it off."

He nodded. "You know, I was thinking about going to New York…you know, after all this."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I got family over there. Maybe I'll find myself an American wife."

I laughed, "I think you'll have better luck in Europe."

"Oh?"

"Most American girls are getting the idea to go to college now. They want to wait for marriage. Plus, after the war there is going to be a lot of changes…"

"What's it like over there?" he asked finally. "I mean, here there's always problems. But over there….is it safe?"

"Yeah, I guess," I replied. "I mean, I wouldn't be afraid to be there. I'd rather be there than here. I had a normal life…I went out with my friends. There's this diner we are going to go to after all this…I had a job in that diner. They had the best burgers there. And a soda fountain."

"I never had one. My parents were strict about what we could eat."

"I'll bring you to the diner when we go to New York."

He smirked, "I think you'll have other things on your mind."

I turned red. Yes I sometimes thought of Mia like _that_, but I hated talking about it. "I can't wait to see her," I admitted. "Just to even hold her….to know that this is all over will be the biggest relief."

"I wish I was like you…that I could just settle down and have no worries."

"What worries do you have?" I asked.

"Well…my family business has gone bust kind of because of all this. It was always expected I would take over, ya know? I've trained my whole life for it. Now…Now I have no idea what to do. No one to plan anything for me."

"My dad wanted me to go to Harvard, like him. To be a doctor like him."

"So we have more in common than we thought," he said with a half smile. That smile….where the hell had I seen it before?

"Well, my sister found an American man to marry, I'm sure _I_ can find an American woman," he replied.

There was something in the way he mentioned his sister that made me stare at him. "You said your sister was fifteen. That's awfully young..."

"Well…no. I did not. I have an _older_ sister," he replied. I'd spent enough time with him to tell he was lying. "Well, we had a minor falling out before I left. She didn't want me joining up and I did anyways."

"I have a little sister. She's sixteen. Not much like most girls her age. She wants to go to college and become a doctor like our father. Sometimes I think he wishes she were the son instead of me."

"Psychotherapist, right?" he asked.

I made a face, "Have I told this story before?"

"Right. Yes, well, you said your father was a doctor, a psychologist or whatever. I can't say I believe in that too much."

"He's actually really bright. I'm glad Mia has him around to help her deal with my being gone. I'm sure the two of them talk about this a great deal."

I saw Hannah peek her head in the room, but upon seeing Arthur she popped back out. "She definitely wants you. You wouldn't think of maybe having a fling while you were over-"

"No Arthur. No way. I _made_ my vows. And I'll make them again in front of our families. I would never do something like that to Mia. Besides, Hannah is my friend. _Just_ my friend."

* * *

I was able to get myself a job in late May. In the mornings I would go to physical therapy and was learning how to write with my left hand. Then I would go to the mail room in the afternoon for two hours before going back to therapy for my legs.

The job was easy enough. I would sit in the room and sort the mail from out going, and ingoing. The in goings each had their own baskets according to their floor.

"M-Michael, what are you doing here?" Hannah asked after seeing me in the mail room.

I laughed, "What's it look like? I'm doing something to keep me busy. Keep my mind going."

"But the _mail_ room?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. Plus, I won't have to bug you about my letters anymore."

She smiled weakly, yes. Right. Well, I need the mail for section forty two."

* * *

I handed her the pile and she went on her way. She was acting kind of odd, and I told Arthur about this. "I _bet_ she's been hiding the letters," he replied. "Or not sending yours out!"

"Do you think she'd do something so sneaky?" I asked, trying to shave with one hand.

He stood behind me. "Wouldn't you do that if Mia was in your position?"

I looked at him in the mirror. "What?"  
"If Mia was writing to another man. And you could control whether or not he got the letters. Or if she'd get his. Think about it. She probably figures if you don't get the letters you'll eventually forget about Mia. And that Mia will do the same to you. She'll find someone in New York to fall in love with. You'll fall in love with Hannah. She's been plotting this since day one I bet….wait, that's right…"

"What?" I asked.

"When you were in a coma…I went to see you. I mean, I wanted to check on the guy I helped out of the ship….yeah, she was singing to you. I heard her and another nurse talking about you…how could I forget about this?"

I gave up my shaving attempts and let him finish my face off. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. She was talking about how you are so handsome. Plus, being an American is a plus around here. People think that any American is a big hero or something."

I sensed some disgust there. "We'll have to wait and see I suppose."


	31. Birth

Questions about Arthur will be answered here. Not HERE here, but in this chapter.

Liss: You have been lacking in creative reviews. I'm sorely disappointed in you.

Livingart: Michael likes to see the good in people. He's not the cynical guy we know in today's books

* * *

MIA: 

Early June and no letter. No loving words of encouragement. Nothing. I was all alone in the world. Well, not exactly. I had this baby. Maybe my mother will take the baby in as her own. The child would be raised as my younger brother or sister. No one would have to know, right?

I sat in the little yard behind the apartment building and threw old bread to the birds nearby. I thought about my terrible situation and how to talk to my mother about it. "Don't be all upset," Lilly said briskly, taking in some sun.

"Why should I _not_ be upset? My husband has _yet_ to answer any of my dozens of letters."

"There could be a mix up or something."

"Or he's fallen madly in love with some snot nosed Brit named Hannah. What kind of name is that anyways?."

"A very nice one. Pretty," she replied. "I was reading about the British and Genovian animosity. Why is that?"

I rolled my eyes and tried to get up. I wasn't used to having such a swollen belly. It ruined my sense of balance. "Because _they_ are stuck up."

"Or you are a little bit," Lilly replied.

I gave her a look. "Did you know what Eliza-"

"Mia!" Mrs. Moscovitz called from their window, cutting me off. "Could you come here for a moment dear?"

I made a face at Lilly. "Are the girls coming by soon?"

"Yes. Come back when my mother is done being _Mother Hen_ to you, won't you?"

I smiled, "Of course. I've missed them so much."

I went up to the apartment and found Mrs. Moscovitz sitting at the table with mail. "What's that?" I asked, my breath caught in the back of my throat.

"You got some mail," she replied.

"From who?" I asked.

She shrugged, but smiled. "Only _one_ way to find out."

I took the envelope and looked at her. She made herself busy, but I still wanted more privacy. I went to my bedroom. What if the letter inside was Michael's way of saying goodbye? That he wanted one of those awful divorces? That he and his dear sweet perfect Hannah were going to marry one another. That they themselves were in the process of having their own child.

It was enough to make one girl throw up. Or faint, or both. But I am of sound strong breeding. My mother taught me to face my greatest fears.

I turned the envelope over and looked at the handwriting for the first time. Not _Michael_'s handwriting.

Not that _Hannah's_ handwriting.

No. It was my brother's.

I stared at it in disbelief. How'd he know where to get me? I slowly opened the envelope and took out the letter.

_Dearest Little Sister- _

_Yes, you are still my little sister even if I am only five minutes older than you. Surprised to hear from me, no? Well, I know you must be worried, so I made it my business to find out how to reach you. Don't bother asking how, all will be explained in due time._

_I am very well, so don't fret over me. I was injured in an accident. They are telling me I'll never see out of my left eye again, and that I will be scarred forever in my face. Think Grandmama will still want me to rule over Genovia while I have facial scars? Oh well, by the time it's my turn she'll be gone and most likely it'll just be you and me handling things, right?_

_I'm so happy that the war in Europe is over. The hospital nearly went crazy when they announced back in April. I must say, your return to Genovia will happen very soon, right? I mean, you are going back there with Mama and Papa, right? I was reading in the paper the other day that Grandmama and Grandpapa will be going to tour the destruction and to discuss rebuilding our home. And that the prince and his wife would be joining them soon. And then their daughter and son would be joining them. Apparently the mentioning of my leaving the family was left to mere lore. That it was just a rumor, right? If they only knew the truth, huh? I can not wait for the reaction of the populace when they see I have no left eye and scarred face. Maybe Grandmere will make it so that they cannot they will not see me until I am made crowned prince. _

_I only heard about the palace being ruined a few weeks ago, from a fellow patient here. He's from New York and always followed the war with fascination. I'm sure he's the type of guy you would have plastered in that silly scrap book you kept of film stars that you supposedly never knew a thing about. _

_How is New York, by the way? Are the people heathens as Grandmama always told us they'd be? Do they eat with their hands? Just kidding. I'm sure they don't. What's living in a big city without Mama and Papa like? I'm sure you are very cosmopolitan now. Way too sophisticated for your big brother. I'm sure you've adapted to their ways of life. Meet any guys over there? How about girls for me? You know, the type that wouldn't mind a guy that has to wear a patch over one eye and has a messed up face? Just remind them that I have millions of dollars, okay? And access to crowned jewels. And that they could be a princess. _

_I must go. A cute nurse keeps walking by trying to get my roommate's attention. It's kind of sad since he's only thinking about his girl back home. _

_Love,_

_Simon_

_PS: Please write back to me. It'll be nice to get some mail while I'm stuck here. They won't let me out until they release the American's I came in with. _

My brother. Dear God. He's all right! He's alive! He's safe! I took out my stationary right away.

_Big Brother-_

_Ahhhh! I cannot believe you are here! Well, not here here, but there here. I mean, you are alive! I've been so worried about you! First of all, happy birthday. I can hardly believe we are seventeen now! Almost fully grown up!_

_To think that this time next year Grandmama would be planning my coming out party! But no, she can't do that. Why you may ask? Oh, I only met the most amazing boy on the face of earth!_

_Simon, he's perfect. I mean, yes, he is American. But we can look past that, right? Just kidding. He's everything I always said I hated. Remember the boys I used to have crushes on? Duke Livingston's son….what was his name? James? Well, forget about him. Michael is the complete opposite of that boy. _

_Michael (that's his name) is taller than me (which let's face it, is a feat and a half!), has curly brown hair, and brown chocolatey eyes. He is so funny too. American humour, of course. At first I didn't understand it, but I grew used to it and became rather fond of him. In fact, I'm in love with him. Actually, to get to my point, I'm married now, big Brother. Since December._

_I know you always said that you would be the one to pick my husband. To put him through rigorous tasks and whatnot. But I think I made the right choice…at least I hope I have. _

_I'm expecting a baby in a few weeks as well. But the sad part of it all is, Michael doesn't know. Or at least, I'm not sure if he does or not. See, he's in a hospital just outside of London. I've been writing to him but have not received a response. What do you think of this? I mean, you are over there and all. What is it like where you are? Is it very difficult to get to your mail?_

_I know this must all come to you as a big shock, but think about how I am feeling!_

_I'm sorry about your injuries dear brother. I'm sure Grandmama will not be upset about your eye or face. She may use it to make you a war hero to the people. To prove to them that the family did not run away from danger. That 'we' put the youngest heir in harms way to protect them. Right? That sounds like the grandmother we know._

_I must go. Lilly, my sister in law, is having friends over. I'm in charge of bringing snacks for everyone. Write back soon dear boy!  
Love Always,_

_Mia (now Moscovitz!)_

I sealed it in an envelope and addressed it. He was in the same hospital as my Michael. I noticed this only after writing the address. Wouldn't it be _fascinating_ if they bumped into one another? I'll ask him about it next time. The odds of them actually knowing one another is small; the hospitals _are_ quite large.

Little did I know there would be no time for a next time. In early July I went into early labor.

I kept feeling funny in my belly. Cramps almost. Yes, I guess it would be best described as cramps. "Are you okay dear?" Dr. Moscovitz asked as he came in from work. I was sitting in the living room, trying to figure out the cause of the cramping.

"Um…"

"What's wrong? What is wrong with your stomach?" he asked hastily. "Are you getting pains?"

I nodded, the pains subsiding.

"How often?" he asked, looking at his wall clock.

"I dunno," I replied. Why on earth was he asking that?

"Mia-"

"I uh…" I started, suddenly feeling wet underneath me.

"Oh God. Evie, ring the doctor. Mia is going into labor!" he yelled into the kitchen as he came over to me.

"No, I can't be. It's too soon," I replied nervously. "I'm not due for another month."

He looked a little nervous. "I know dear. I know. Evie! Send Lilly to get the car from the garage!"

My lower lip was trembling. I hadn't been thinking about giving birth. The idea was…well, scary. "I…I am terribly sorry about that mess," I said looking over my shoulder.

"Mia, don't worry about that," he replied, escorting me to the hall. "Evie! Get her bag!"

I have never said this before, but I hated Michael while I was having the baby. I mean first of all, he did this to me (okay, with prodding from me). Secondly, he still hadn't even acknowledged that I was in fact having his baby!

The pain was more than anyone could have ever prepared me for. Maybe that's why Mrs. Moscovitz never said anything. "Is it supposed to hurt this much?" I asked, holding her hand.

She nodded, "Don't worry dear. It will be over soon."

"I just want Michael here," I whined. "Why isn't he _here_?"

She wiped sweat off of my forehead. "I know dear…I know…"

"No you don't. He's probably off snogging some stupid British twit named Hannah who has the most beautiful handwriting. And she's a nurse! Can you believe it? She gives her time to help sick people. I just sit around and study and read magazines and listen to programs on the radio!"

She smoothed my hair out. "Calm down dear. This is the easy part," she said after another set of contractions. "He'll be here for the harder part of raising this child."

I gave her a look. "But what about HANNAH?"

"I do not know a Hannah," she replied calmly. "Relax dear. Breathe….."

I had Mrs. Moscovitz sitting in the room with me since Dr. Moscovitz was not allowed in the room since he is a man. Better this way. I was way too embarrassed anyways to have his wife there.

"What _is_ it?" I asked tiredly after nine hours of trying to get that baby out of me.

Mrs. Moscovitz was crying.

I don't like crying. "What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. The tiredness I expected disappeared. Was something wrong with my baby?

"It's a boy," she replied, wiping her tears aside. "You had a little boy."

I saw the doctors cleaning the baby off. "What's…wait; I don't want to know what that all is, do I?"

Mrs. Moscovitz kissed my forehead. "I'm going to go tell Dr. Moscovitz and Lilly the news. They've been worried."

A few minutes later the doctor brought my son over to me. "Do you have a name yet for him?"

I stared at the doctor. "_I_ have to name him? Like, on my own?" I asked, shocked. For generations my family had names in place. Grandmere was supposed to name the first born grandson. It was tradition.

He laughed. "Why don't you get to know him a little while longer and then decide? We'll just put Baby Boy Moscovitz on his tag for now, okay?"

I nodded. "Wait, could you send Mrs. Moscovitz in here in a few minutes for me?"

He nodded. "Bond with the boy. _Then_ I'll send her on in to see you."

"Hey you," I whispered to my new son. He was so…tiny. His eyes were closed, but I saw them when they first gave him to me. They were dark. "We have to think of a name for you don't we now?"

I stared at the quiet child for a few more minutes. "Daniel?" I asked. He began to squirm. "No. Not Daniel. Arthur? No…that's too much of an old man's name….Gabriel?" He stopped squirming. I smiled. "Then Gabriel it is, little boy."

A nurse came in and explained to me how to feed him. I hadn't realized what a _chore_ it would be. She explained that I could start using formula when we went home, but that it was rather expensive. Somehow I think we'll manage without it.

"He's perfect," Mrs. Moscovitz gushed as she fluffed my pillows. "Did you choose a name?"

I smiled, "Gabriel. Gabriel Nathan."

I saw her lips twitch. "How'd you come upon that name?"

"I looked at the arch angel up in the corner over there and said Gabriel," I replied, handing him to her. "He seemed to agree to it. And my uncle who died as a child was named Nathan. I thought my father might appreciate it."

"How'd you…." She said, tears forming on her cheeks. "Gabriel was Michael's cousin that died at Pearl Harbor," she explained.

Oh. I see. "He never said his cousin's name," I replied. "If you would rather me choose another-"

"No, no," she replied, "I think it fits him perfectly."

MICHAEL

I saw to it to check every day for Mia's letter. I mean, she is bound to send at least a _Dear John_ one, right? You know, one to break up with me at least. But you can't do that if you are married, right?

"Who the hell is Simon Renaldo?" one of my co-workers asked. I turned to him.

"What did you just say?" I said quickly.

"Simon Renaldo? You know him?"  
"He's _here_?"

"Oh yeah. He goes by something else though," another guy said, coming to pick up his own mail.

"What is it?" my co-worker, Benji asked.

"Arthur. Hey, your roommate," the guy replied. "You didn't know your own _roommate's_ real name?"

I laughed lightly. "Oh, of course I did. I'm just not used to other people knowing," I replied. Shit. It can't be the…wait, How many Simon Renaldo's can there be? "Can I see that?" I asked.

Sure enough. It was her handwriting. She wrote to him. He…had he written to her? "Moscovitz, here's a letter for you," Benji said, tossing me a thin envelope.

I still stared at Simon's name in amazement. "It's…."

"What? You going crazy or something? Do your work-"

"I'm…I gotta go back to my room. I'm gonna be sick."


	32. ABomb

I wheeled myself back to my room. I'd gotten an infection in my left leg so they had to do a minor surgery on it the week before. It would take an extra week to heal.

"Hey, you are out early," Arthur said, reading a magazine that was written in French.

"Sorry I didn't _warn_ you," I replied, tossing his letter to him.

"How'd you get this?" he asked.

"They told me to give it to you," I replied. "Direct mail service compliments of Moscovitz," I replied.

I shimmied up to my own bed and opened up the letter.

_Michael sweetheart-_

_I don't know why you won't write back to me. Are you just too busy? Too sick? I will admit that I have been re-reading your two letters to me to look for clues as to why you would stop writing to me._

_I'm sorry if my letter back in March was…well, shocking to you. But there is nothing I can do about it now. I'm going to have this baby whether we like it or not. And I suppose if you do not wish to take part in raising the baby, or in being with me, I suppose I can go back to live with my parents. They can raise the baby as their own or something. Not that I want that, but it's the only thing I can do. A princess can't have a child out of wedlock…not that we are not married. But if you wish to end this marriage then I am sure my grandmother will not allow the public to know I was ever married or that I had a child with a man in America during the war. It will just be one of those little secrets that someone will most likely uncover in the future. _

_Please, my love, write back to me. I don't know what to do anymore. But if you do not write back then I will take it as a sign that you do not care about our baby or about me. Then I will write to my parents who will come for me. My grandparents have already returned to Genovia so I could go stay with them._

_Love Always,_

_Mia_

I looked over at Arthur, who was smiling. I was in complete shock. Letter from _March_? A baby? Dear God... "Arthur," I said hoarsely. I decided to keep up the façade he was holding up.

He looked at me, "Yes?"

"I am going to be a father."

He looked back at his letter. She must have been telling him as well. "Congratulations, Old Man. When?"

I shrugged. "She said she told me in March. In a letter. I never received such a letter, have I?"

Hannah walked in just then. "Michael, you are early," she said, settling Arthur's lunch tray by him. "I'll go get you a lunch tray now-"

"How about the rest of my letters?" I asked. "The ones from my _wife_?"

She turned white. "What are you talking about?"

"All those letters," I hissed. "You never sent them, did you?"

"I don't know what-"

"Yes you do," I screamed. "You _knew_, didn't you?"

"What?" she asked, backing toward the door.

"You knew she was pregnant. That she was concerned about my feelings toward the subject. That's why you asked if we wanted lots of children together, isn't it?"

"What is the noise in here?" Dr. Gianni asked, coming into the room. "I was just doing my rounds and heard this ruckus."

"_She's_ a thief!" I said, pointing to Hannah.

He looked at her. "Hannah, what is he talking about?"

"I don't know Doct-"

"She took Michael's letters to and from his wife. Never told him about them. Made it seem like his wife didn't care," Arthur replied.

The doctor sighed. "I should have known. Hannah, to my office. Private Moscovitz, I will see to it that you get your letters back. Hannah…she's….had problems. She recently found out that her fiancé Brian died. Right before you came in," he started. "And well, we didn't think it was wise for her to be so close to the sick when she was grieving…but well, she said it helped her. I was planning on having her assignment changed. I thought she was getting too attached to you. Michael, she isn't exactly right in the head right now. Please don't do anything too rash…"

"Right in the head?" Arthur chuckled. "That girl is a loon. A smart one though. Creative letting him think-

I gave him a look.

"And my deepest apologies to you and your wife," Dr. Gianni said turning a heel and walking out.

So it was just me and Arthur left in the room. I looked at him and realized at once that he was my wife's _brother._ The one she cried over. The one who left her all alone. I felt an immediate dislike towards him, but soon realized that _I_ had done the same to her. Unintentionally, but still. But every word he'd said to me had been a lie.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Arthur Jacques," he replied.

"No you aren't."

"Ah, so you have figured it out, have you?" he asked, coming to my bed.

I glared at him.

He put out his hand, "The name is Simon Artur Phillipe Grimaldi Renaldo. In some circles a simple Prince Simon will do," he said all that with a French accent that sounded very much like Mia's original one. Regal.

I shook it. "And my brother in law," I whispered.

He nodded. "I kind of knew, but couldn't be sure. So I got her address when you were telling Hannah where to send the letter to. Remember? A few weeks back you re-stated it to make sure it was arriving at the right place? I wrote it down and wrote to her." He lifted the letter she wrote to him. "She still loves you."

"I have to get to her," I replied. "She needs me."

"If I know my sister then _yes_, she does. She is the most _helpless_ person I know. Did you know that one time we were on a little row boat and I fell in and she wouldn't help me back in?"

I gave him a look.

"Anyways, she was too concerned with mussing her new white skirt. Does that sound like your dear little Mia?"

I shook my head. What is he getting at?

"Michael….she's my little sister. And I basically deserted her. That's something I'll _never_ forgive myself for. But it isn't my responsibility anymore. She is _your_ wife. And she's having your baby. But it is my duty to get you back to her. Maybe she'll forgive me for leaving her."

I nodded, "She was really upset," I agreed. "Worried for you…" I continued. Then I realized he may have thought I married her because of the baby "..But I married her. But not because…"

"Clearly. You had no idea. Wait, you…._before_…."

Oh shit. "Um…."

He looked thoughtful, "I can't say too much without being hypocritical. _I'm_ the one that she saw doing stuff with one of her ladies in waiting."

I smirked. She had told me it had been scarred into her memory.

"How's the leg?"

"Bone is healed," I replied. "Both of them. The left one is a pain though."

He shook his head, "I said, _how's the leg_?" he said, winking. "You know, for a physical to go home? Maybe next week?"

"Next week?" I asked. "When would we arrive in New York?"

He looked at the calendar by my bed. "Early August by my calculations."

I bit my lip. "We have to do it."

His face brightened. "We'll surprise her."

"Uhm, how long did you know about—"

"I saw your ring while we were on the ship. In the mess hall. I just thought it was a coincidence, but then I remembered that those were one of a kind. I was going to the engine room to speak with you when it all happened. To see how you got it."

"We didn't have any..." I started.

"It's fine," he assured me. "You guys did what you had to do. Now we'll do what we have to do."

* * *

The next evening Hannah came in the room. "I just want to apologize," she began. "I…what I did was irrational. But see," she started, looking at Simon who was not budging.

"Go on."

She looked at me for support. I didn't offer any.

"Anyways, here," she said handing me a bundle of letters. I saw Mia's neat handwriting on it. "She uh, sent some chocolate as well."

"That explains why you gave me a box of chocolate a few weeks ago," I mumbled.

"My sister sure does have taste," Simon replied, untying the string holding the letters together.

"Your…oh…God. Michael," she said, taking my hand. "I just…I fell in love with you."

I hid a smile, "How? You hardly even know me."

"It's like you said, you just…you just know. And once I saw you in your bed I _knew_."

I shook my head. "Then you should have kept your distance. I would…I _couldn't_ love you Hannah. I'm happy with Mia."

"But she's so young," she argued.

I pulled my hand away from her. "No. She's perfect for me. How could you keep the fact that I'm going to be a father from me?"

She started crying. "I'm sorry…I just…I don't know what else to say."

I sighed heavily. I hated seeing girls cry. Even ones that tried to destroy my life. "Look, I know you loved Brian. You need to go home. Learn to live all over again," I explained. Mia probably thought she had to do this. Probably thought I…God knows what she thinks.

"You remembered his name?" she asked, wiping her tears away.

"Well, yeah. That's what friends do," I replied. "Go to him."

I passed inspection.Barely, but I still passed. I think that Simon convinced the nurse signing off on my release to let me go. I don't want to even enquire as to how but I'll assume that his charms are outstanding.I'm going home. I can only hope my letter to Mia will arrive before I do, so she'll know where to meet me. I hope she doesn't have the baby before I come home.

* * *

Mia:

I spent my nights up with Brie—that's what we were calling him. Gabe was too….I dunno. _Not him_. Of course, Grandmere will say that I named him after cheese, but she'll get over it. I'm sure she will.

So my days were spent with him. Feeding him. Changing his nappies. Washing used nappies. I still find it amazing that this time last year I had been so different. I was on a boat with a guardian. Now I was the guardian of a child.

I smiled at my now sleeping child and crept into my own bed. Well, my and Michael's bed.

I wondered how Randa was doing. If she'd had a healthy baby. If it was a girl or a boy. If she had found any happiness. Cuz she was wrong. I wasn't having the life she wanted with Kevin. That is, Michael wasn't around, and showed no signs of caring.

I started to cry. Soon everything would be going back to it was before the war. My hair was even going back to being blonde. Michael probably wouldn't recognize me. My mother had written to tell me that she and my father would be coming to New York to see their first grandchild. I hadn't told her about Michael's lack of enthusiasm. That he hadn't even written to ask about him.

Lilly and I decided to take Brie for walks every day. "It'll help you get your figure back," Dr. Moscovitz assured me. But I think he just wanted some peace and quiet; something rare with my son.

Not that I minded having him around. It kept my mind off of Michael. I was sad, however, that Michael may never get to see Gabriel.

"We better get him back to the apartment," Lilly said, putting him back into his carriage.

"Why?"

"Well, he needs a new diaper. Also, the paper said to watch for rain today. We wouldn't want to be stuck in a rainstorm, would we?"

So we started for the apartment. Only to have Mr. Robitussin run toward us before we reached the building. "Miss Mia," he said, out of breath.

"What is it?" I asked, worried. "Is it your son? Brian?"

"No, I saw this and got here as soon as I could," he replied. "I skipped the houses earlier on the route. I knew you'd want this as soon as possible. It's from London."

I stared at the envelope. It was Simon's handwriting. I looked at Lilly. "Thank you, sir," I said, hugging him. "I'll go straight up to my room to read it."

"How is the little one?" he asked, peeking into the carrier. "I bet his father will jump for joy."

I tightened my grasp on the letter. "Yes. I am sure he will. But we must go."

We rushed up the four floors. "I'll change him. You go read," Lilly said as I reached for Gabriel.

"Are you-"

"He's my nephew. I can handle it. Go."

I went into my bedroom and opened the letter quickly.

_Dearest Little Sister-_

_I thought I would write you a quick note before I leave—yes, leave. I will be shipping out and going to New York. I am told that there will be quite a celebration upon our arrival, but they will not say why. I assume that those arrogant Americans believe they have the Japanese right where they want them. I cannot be sure, of course._

_As I write this my roommate here is recuperating very well. He just had surgery recently, but wants to return to his sweetheart and soon recovered. He never shuts up about her. Almost makes me wish I had someone special back home. _

_I'll settle for you sister dear. And of course, this child of yours. I hope this letter gets to you before the little one is born. So I can tell you to name the baby, if it's a boy, Simon after it's wonderful uncle. Or Simone if it's a girl. I think it's only proper for the child to be named after the future crowned prince of Genovia, don't you?_

_Anyways, I will meet you in what I am told is Times Square. My friends from New York will bring me to this place called Frankie's Pizza. Be there on August ninth, but listen to the news reports. We may be later than that. _

_Love Simon

* * *

_

Four days. I'd see him in four days. "Lilly!" I screamed, waving the letter. She set Brie down for his nap.

"What?"

"He's coming. Here. Four days!"

"Who?"

"My brother! Simon! Four days!" I exclaimed, waving the letter.

She started jumping up and down with me. Gabriel started crying. "Girls, baby, crying," Mrs. Moscovitz said, coming into the room.

"Simon is coming home!" I cried.

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from tearing up. "I am very happy for you dear. But we must remember, we still have someone else there."

I held Gabriel close to me that night after I fed him. It had been determined that Mrs. Moscovitz would stay with Gabriel while I went to meet with Michael.

But the next morning life as we knew it changed.

The atomic age had begun.


	33. Simon's new Fan Club

Author's Note:

Handsoff: Colin had to be removed. I felt bad killing a character with the same name as my nephew

livingartemis: you caught me. I had originally had it so Michael had gotten in touch with her. Changed my mind though. As for the atomic age...think about the date. It's early August 1945. But it's explained here so no worries.

Thanks to everyone else reading. Only about one or two more chapters after this.

I'm listening to Boyzone...should I be concerned?

* * *

We crowded around the radio and listened to the announcement that an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. The number of casualties were unknown, but average citizens had been warned and advised to leave the city days before.  
"Can you just imagine?" Lilly asked. "Like, a family might have been sitting around listening to a radio program then _WHAM_! Killed."

"Well," I said, rubbing Brie's back. "They were warned."

"Dad, if we were told to evacuate, where'd we go?" Lilly asked as her father turned off the dial.

He didn't respond. He just stared out the window.

"Okay now girls, go on and wash up for dinner. Mia, I'll take Brie," Mrs. Moscovitz said sushing us out of the room.

Lilly and I went into her room before dinner while Mrs. Moscovitz set Brie down for a nap. "What do you think this means?" she asked me.

"No clue," I said softly.

"Do you think…think that Michael knows?"

I shrugged. I'd gotten so used to living without him. It will be odd if, no, when he comes home. He _has_ to come home. "I have no idea."

"Mia," she said, noting my sense of sadness. "He is pretty busy over there."

"I don't understand," I said, almost in tears. "Why can't he just take a minute to jot a note for me?"

"Cuz he lost the tops of his fingers and he's working on writing with his other hand?" Lilly guessed.

Damn. She's way too logical for my liking. "I suppose they will sue for peace now," I said finally.

"Huh?"

"They'll surrender. The war will be over. Everything will go back to what it was like before the war," I explained.

She looked a bit worried.

"What?" I asked.

"I forget what it was like," she admitted. "I mean, we were what, thirteen? All of our teen years have been the war. It won't be the _same_."

My life would be totally different. I still wasn't sure of where I was to live. If I would be forced to move back to Genovia or what. Grandmere might make me. She would scare Dad into making me move there. To move with Michael and Brie. I know Michael would never stand for it. Maybe that would be his way out of this marriage. He would quietly divorce me because he didn't want to move. Or because of Brie. Who knows?

The paper had been announcing the first group of soldiers returning to New York. Only days before the second atomic bomb had been released over the skies of Japan, causing the Empire to sue for peace. The war was over. And life would soon go back to 'normal'.

I found it amazing that Gabriel would not have a single memory of this war. Or of not knowing his father for who knows how long of his life. I smiled. It was nice that he would never know that . He'd never know the heart ache I've been feeling for the past month. I hope he would never have to experience what I know millions of couples have these past four year (in America at least).

I stared at the sleeping boy and wondered what he'd be when he grew up. Would he fall in love in only seventeen years. Would I be a grandmother? God, I hope not. "Hey, you are going to wait until you are eighteen to even date a girl," I whispered. "And you are going to college and _then_ getting married."

Not that I don't approve of how Michael and I did things. I just…I don't want to be a grandmother when I'm in my thirties. Plus, I want my son to have a full life. Doing things that his father and I couldn't do because of the war. Not to rush a courtship into only a few weeks. I know it may sound romantic to fall in love like Michael and I have, but I would have liked him to have met my family before. So it would not have seemed like I was being sneaky…going behind their back.

Marrying Michael was probably the most impulsive thing I've ever done in my entire life…but also the smartest thing. I know we haven't spent much time together- actually, more time _apart_ than together- but I don't really care. Just getting a letter from him would make my day.

* * *

The nextfew days were filled with anticipation. Word got out about a parade of soldiers and navy men returning. "Think about it, men in uniform. Can you imagine a day with more handsome men?" Laura asked dreamily.

I buttoned up my jacket. "I would settle for the _one_," I replied. "Thanks for the nylons, by the way."

"Don't ruin them, Mom will kill me if there are any runs in them," Laura replied. "Wait, let me put another pin in your hair."

The girls had come over to dress up for the parade. Laura was determined to find a sailor to suit her liking. I was trying to look princessy so Simon would not tease me for my new American attire.

"So, what does your brother look like?" Tina asked, applying rouge to her cheeks.

"The male version of me," I replied robotically.

"Wait, I have a picture," Lilly replied, grabbing her scrapbook.

"You have my _brother's photograph_ in there?" I asked with a laugh. "I mean, you put film stars in there!"

"She does so for good reason," Tina said dreamily. "Your brother is so handsome!"

I rolled my eyes. Something that Lilly had taught me. I am sure Grandmere will have a coronary if she saw it. "He's my brother, girls. I used to bathe with the boy."

"I wouldn't mind that," Laura replied, taking the news clip from Tina.

"That is beyond disgusting."

"You made love to my brother," Lilly reminded me. "So I think it's even."

"Well….I ….I am in love with him. You girls do not even know Simon."

"Mom says there is going to be a sexual revolution. Women will have sex with several different men before settling down. _That_ sounds exciting," Lilly replied, placing the clip back in her book carefully.

"Gross," I replied. "It's only good with the one you love."

"W-What's it like?" Tina asked carefully.

I finally realized that I, the foreigner, was the only one fully aware of a man's body. They had the basic ideas but not the image. "What's what like?" I asked, trying to avoid the discussion. Grandmere always said it was improper to discuss such private matters with others.

"Doing It?" Laura continued.

Lilly stormed out of the room. "I do not care to hear about my brother like that."

Tina laughed. "You don't have to tell us. It's just…interesting."

I studied her expression. "I would never have done it with him if I didn't know I loved him. And that he loved me. I can't imagine it would be better any other way."

"He'll be back," Tina said, reading my mind. "I promise. Who knows, maybe today?"

I held back a chuckle, "Yeah, right. Simon would have…wait, Simon doesn't even know Michael. He knows he exists, yes, but not him. But I doubt it. If he was interested in home he'd have written."

The two girls shared a saddened glance. "Let me finish doing your hair," Tina replied.

* * *

"I just fed him an hour ago," I explained to Mrs. Moscovitz about fifteen minutes later. "There is a bottle in the ice box."

"Dear, I know how to take care of a baby. Now you go get your brother, okay?"

I kissed my son gingerly. I hated being apart from him for very long. Or being very far at all from him. In my one month of young motherhood I had grown quite attached to the child.

She hugged me tightly. "You look gorgeous."

Lilly and I started walking toward Times Square. The others decided to go further up the route and look for boys on their own. "How can we be sure we'll see him?" I asked, stepping on my toes. It had been hours since we had arrived. Hundreds of veterans had swarmed by, none looking like my brother. He'd wait by the ship for me if we did not arrive together. Or he would ask a phone operator to contact the Moscovitz's.

"I hear some screaming," Lilly replied. "Here, step on this hydrant"

* * *

MICHAEL:

As we docked that morning I stared at the New York skyline. "That's the Statue of Liberty," I explained to Simon. "And that's the Empire State Building."

"And my little sister has been in the middle of all this?" he said, laughing. "I can't imagine her here."

"She fits right in," I replied.

We had to go through a final physical before disembarkment. It was going alphabetical. Simon was still going by the name Jacques, so he went before me. But he promised to wait in our bunk room.

It was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon before I finally was allowed to pack up and get ready to get off the ship. Simon and I stared out at the crowds waiting for the troops to come greet them. Mia was somewhere in there. I hope she showed up for this. To see me for the first time in eight months. God, how had it been that long?

"We marching to Times Square, then have to come back for our things," Simon explained. "How far is Times Square?"

I laughed. "We have a walk ahead of us."

We started walking at two o'clock. I searched the crowds. "It's pointless," I sighed. "I'll never see her."

He rolled his eyes, "Stop being so dramatic."

I realized I was being kind of dramatic. But who wouldn't be? I mean, my wife, whom I have not seen in eight months, was _pregnant._

"How's the leg?" he asked after three miles.

I shrugged. It was killing me. The left more so than the right. I hadn't walked around this much in _months_. Not since the accident. I have to say, it was nice to have_ some_ feeling in my legs. Besides, I had to consider the pain Mia would be certainly going through when she has our baby. I think the leg isn't nearly as bad as that. At least from what I hear. "I'll survive I think," I replied.

"I never thought I'd ever see so many people in one place…ever. I think there are more people on these streets than there are in Genovia at all."

I laughed, "That's our school," I said pointing to good old John D. Rockefeller School for Young Men (and now Women, which was on a handwritten sign by the front entrance)."

He laughed, sincerely. "My sister in a _normal_ school. Now that's something I'd like to see."

We continued walking, with me pointing out different landmarks until a girl hopped over the barricades and kissed Simon square on the lips, "My thanks to you boys," she said, eyeing me.

I said thanks was all I needed, and that she could just kiss him again instead of me. So she did.

"I think I'm liking America," he said with a laugh, looking back at the giggling girl. "A lot."

"I doubt your grandmother will like hearing about you making out with a random girl on the streets of New York."

He shrugged now. "Like she'll ever know."

We were at the end of the parade around six o'clock. Still no Mia. I was starting to lose faith. Plus, I was seriously thinking about amputating my leg. It was killing me. "Think we could steal a cup of water over there?" Simon asked, pointing towards Corby's Market.

"Uh, sure, I suppose," I replied dumbly. How dumb was I to expect the romantic return? To just have her jump into my arms?

I started walking over to the market and realized that Simon had stopped walking. I turned to see why, but he simply pointed to a girl standing on a fire hydrant.

Mia. Shorter, lighter hair, but my Mia. My perfect Mia.

God. She looked per- wait. Where is her stomach? What happened to the baby?


	34. Kissing the War Goodbye

Author's Note: HEre it is. The final chapter to my longest running story ever. Not longest story, but longest running. Thanks for all the reviews and for reading. I appreciate it.

Epilogue will be up shortly. Once I write it that is. Cuz I don't like the original one. Okay. Read. Review.

Look for one shots from me from here on out. I don't know how many. I have other things going on at the moment.

Oh, and I am referring to a famous photograph in the title of the chapter. Anyone see the reference in the story?

* * *

MICHAEL: 

"B-But what if he's already gone back to the ship?" she asked my sister. I was slowly making my way through the crowd to her.

"Then you'll see him at home. Start being logical won't you?" my sister asked.

I was still in mild shock. What happened to the baby? Isn't she supposed to have a bulge?

"Let me through," I said to the people.

But no one could hear me. Simon eventried, but failed.

Finally, he cupped his hands over his mouth, "PRINCESS!"

Mia instinctively turned and smiled at her brother. Sadly I am short and she did not see me. Simon motioned for her to mee him a little further down the street where the crowdwas not as thick.He grabbed my arm as she hopped off the hydrant. "She doesn't know you are here," he explained. "So give her something more than just a hello."

I nodded, still confused as to where my baby had gone. She could not have had it already, could she? I mean, It'd betoo early. Or...what ifshe had lost it? Like that woman my father was treating? Oh God. That could not have happened.

We stopped at a clearing and waited for the girls to catch up. They finally did.Mia's eyes went immediately to her brother and she jumped into his arms. "Oh Simon! Ithought-"

He let her go and pointed in my direction. I was stillamazed. She looked...different.Very American. She had her rouge on and her lipstick as she had whenshe dressed up, but shewas totally American. Maybe it was how she was openly staring at me. Her mouth opened in surprise. Her eyes wider than the Grand Canyon. "M-Michael?" she asked, walking slowly towards me."Is it really...Is it you?"

I went straight to her, not saying a single word, took her into my arms and kissed her. Shewas nervous at first, I couldtell, but she soon fell loose into myarms and let mekiss her. Idipped her back,holding her head up with my left arm.We heard a camera go off, taking us away from the romance of it all.

I set her right side up. "I _told_ you I'd be back," I said hugging her tightly.

I could hear her crying. "Thank God….I was so worried…I didn't know if I'd see you…"

I pulled back and wiped her tears, "What about the baby? Where is it?" I asked, touching her belly.

She stared at her stomach, "Oh, you know about it?"

"Mia, what happened?" I asked, my stomach turning in knots.

"I had the baby almost a month ago," she said holding my hand.

The baby. "Y-You had the baby? Is it okay? What is it? Are you okay?"  
She laughed and kissed the tip of my nose, "His name is Gabriel, and yes, he's fine. Perfectly healthy. He was born in the beginning of July."

My face exploded into a wide grin. "I have a son….a son…." I chanted, looking back at Simon. "I have a son!"

"Gabriel Nathan," she supplied.

"Wait...what? How'd you know?"

She shrugged, "Does it matter?"

* * *

MIA:

I was so happy just seeing Michael that I hadn't noticed the fact that my brother, Simon, had been standing with Lilly. Making awkward conversation. "You knew this _entire_ time?" I asked my brother in amazement.

He shrugged easily, "I like surprises. And I had to make sure I wanted him to be with you."

I looked at Michael, then at my brother. "You've got the pirate look down," I teased my brother.

He looked at me. With his oneworking eye, "Oh my little sister! Haven'tchanged a bit!" He kissed all over my cheeks. "How are you? The _baby_?"

"Both fine," I managed before letting my giggles go. "How are you?" I asked, looking at he scarring and the patch over his eye.

"Could be better, could be _worse_," he replied. "Aren't you formally going to introduce me to the young man that stole you from us?"

I gave him a look, "You already know Michael."

"You could do worse," he replied, nudging Michael, who was not letting go of my waist.

"And this is my best friend Lilly, Michael's sister."

I actually saw Lilly blush as he kissed her hand. I never have seen Lilly blush. I only hope she remembers that she has a beau already. But I can not tell her what to do. Or my brother. He has never listened to me. Ever.

We waited around the area for a little longer. Michael and Simon introduced us to their friends that would pass us by. Finally, "Michael, I have to feed the baby."

He lookedconfused for a minute, then excited. "I'm so foolish! I should have gotten you home right away!"

"I'll get your bags," Simon offered. "If Lilly will come with me and show me the way to your apartment."

Lilly agreed readily. "Of course," she said, taking his extended elbow. "It'd be a joy."

I noticed that Michael was limping considerably. "Michael…are your legs okay?"

"They're fine. A bit tired from all the walking, but I can handle going home."

We spent the twenty minute walk back home talking about the past few months. Me telling him about the baby, him telling me about the hospital. "Any cute nurses?" I asked, teasing. Well, half teasing. My curiousity got the best of me. I want to know about that Hannah character he had mentioned several times.

He smirked, "No. I kept telling them about you and they all thought I was the sweetest thing ever to hit London."

I loved having his arm around me. _Supporting_ me, finally. Until we got home. "Ready?" I asked.

He nodded. We took the lift up to the fourth floor. Dr. Moscovitz spoke the land lord about servicing the fourth floor until Michael had fully recovered. I finally looked at his right hand. He seemingly was not noticing the lack of fingers. He was drumming them against his leg. The little nubs I mean. Not his fingers.

"What?" he asked, noticing me staring.

"Oh, nothing."

He looked at his hand. "Oh, _that_. Sorry. I hardly notice that anymore.Do you not want to see them.?"

I took his right hand in my own, "Michael, it's _you_. Of course I want to see it." I'll admit it, his hand kind of grossed me out. He still had from the knuckle down, but that was it. "I can still hold your hand, right?"  
He laughed, "I think we'll manage just fine."

Then the doors opened and we were in the hallway leading to the apartment. "Mind if I lean on you a bit? My left leg is hurting a lot more than I expected."

"Sure," I said, putting my arm around his waist. "Ready?"

I opened the front door to see his mother and father in the den. His father was reading the evening news paper. His mother was knitting again. "I'm home," Michael announced.

Both of the elder Moscovitz's jumped up and ran to the front hall with surprised expressions. "Michael! We had no idea!" Mrs. Moscovitz exclaimed,embracing him immediately. Pushing me aside. I didn't mind though. I mean, I have the rest of my life to be with him.

Dr. Moscovitz then hugged his son along with his wife. It was a Michael sandwich. I giggled at the sight of him struggling to breathe.

"Where is he?" Michael asked after Mrs. Moscovitz sat him in her normal chair.

"Who?" she asked, examining his hands. She was heartily concerned about his fingers. I suppose I would be too if Brie lost his fingers. After all, I had helped make those things.

"My _son_?"

"Oh…oh of course," she said with a nervous laugh. "I just put him to bed actually. Mia, I gave him another bottle about an hour and a half ago. I'm sure he'll be up soon for another."  
"He eats like _you_ do," Dr. Moscovitz teased his son.

"My brother will be arriving with Lilly soon," I started. "Would it be alright with you if he were to stay here in the den? He won't be any trouble-"

"Of course! Of course," Mrs. Moscovitz replied. She _loved _having company. I mean, I was company for the first month or so. Then treated like one of their own. "Let's see here...Lilly can sleep in our room with us and he can have her room..."

After Mrs. Moscovitz fed Michael (and I fed Gabriel), she finally let him in to see the baby. He had wanted to go into the room while I fed him, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said I needed privacy when doing such an act.

He came slowly to the bassinet that he had used only eighteen years before. "C-Can I touch him?" he whispered to the baby who was looking at his father as a complete stranger.

I laughed lightly, "You could hold him if you'd like, _Dad_."

"I don't want to break him," he admitted.

I lifted Gabriel up, forgetting how I myself had been nervous only a month before at doing this. "Go sit on the bed," I instructed. I handed him to Michael. "Support his head. His neck muscles aren't…." I didn't need to instruct him anymore. Michael had it. Why had I been so worried about his reaction? He was a natural.

He counted Gabriel's fingers and toes. "He's perfect," he whispered. "Just perfect…How'd we do _this_?"

I smirked. "I'd _show_ you, but we have to wait a few more weeks and find him another room."

Michael laughed, "Well, I'm sure we can hold off a little longer," he replied, staring at his son. Our Son. "I like his name."

"The arch angel was in the room…you know, a little statue of him. So I chose Gabriel."

Michael smiled at me, "Eh you _Catholics_," he teased.

I gave him a look, "Well, your son is part Catholic so get used to it."

Gabriel started crying again. Michael looked panicked so I took him. "He probably needs a new diaper," I explained. "Would you get me a diaper from the changing table?"

"You are changing him on the bed?" he asked, shocked.

"It's easier," I said making cute faces to quiet down Gabriel.

Michael got a diaper and things to wipe Gabriel's bottom. "I'm gonna go-"

"Nuh uh, you will learn how to do this too," I said, grabbing his wrist.

He watched as I changed Gabriel's diaper. "What do you do with that other one?"

"Wash it," I said matter of factedly. "We have a bin just for these over there."

He took it as if it were a live grenade and dropped it in a bin. "Can I hold him again?"


End file.
